Hail at Dawn
by Vinala
Summary: After Hailey's abilities turn erratic, she accepts the opportunity to train with the Arrow Squad. She meets James, a man who's as cold as he is demanding. During their training sessions, Hailey discovers facets of James she finds most intriguing, but is her strong will enough to break the icy layer around James' heart? [MA intimacy/language] Rated MA, language and physical intimacy
1. Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

What a crazy, beautiful and wonderful journey this has been. For the past year, I've been working on this manuscript, and now my first ever story written is finally finished!

My thanks to my fellow Nalinians for helping me out by reading the story and providing me with feedback. Your devotion, enthusiasm and compliments have been heartwarming. It made me laugh, blush, slap my forehead for forgetting something _so_ important; exactly what I needed to get back on track whenever I felt stuck. Busy lives make it difficult to follow through sometimes, but you guys didn't let me down and without your help I couldn't have made Hail at Dawn what it is today.

Finally, I'd like to thank my fellow author Deb Hicks in particular for boosting my confidence and seeing this story through to completion. That inner editor of yours has helped me exceed myself and I'm so very grateful for that. Couldn't have done this one without you!

**Disclaimer**

This is a work of fan fiction based on Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling and Trinity series. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Nalini Singh. The original characters and plot are the property of me, Kristy Kamarulzaman, and are a work of my imagination. This story is for entertainment purposes only and isn't part of the original storyline. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any previously copyrighted material.

Hail at Dawn isn't written and published in order to gain profit in any shape or form (other than gaining experience writing).

No copyright infringement is intended.

I'm very grateful to have stumbled upon Nalini's work, as I'm happy and grateful I got to pour this figment of my imagination on paper because of the amazing universe she's created.

Kudos to you, Miss Singh! You're a true artist and inspiration.


	2. Doubt

Doubt

Dormant empaths have awoken, darkness slithers through the Net and the acceptance of emotions has proven not to be merely a privilege, but a necessity in order for the Psy race to survive.

Slowly but surely, Psy all around the world are embracing the change. They taste food aside from the formally regulated nutrition supplements, listen to music without discussing the usefulness, and discover the beauty of the cities and villages where they live. Psy children are enrolled in human and changeling schools. Psy adults participate in social conversation with their neighbors and colleagues.

Change is eminent, and change is happening.

But for one branch of the Psy race the effect of emotional interaction is still uncertain. Although their leader has shown them hope, there are still those who are unwilling to live a life where emotions can penetrate the dark armor shielding their violent and brutal abilities. Because behind that armor stir shadows, shadows that will disrupt the discipline and control needed for a life with emotions. For all the flaws within Silence, it has provided the men, women and children of the Arrow Squad with the necessary tools to leash their power.

Now, in the summer of the year 2083, a shift is about to occur in the life of one of the most lethal and powerful amongst the Psy. Will there be enough humanity left to bend and thrive, or will the darkness swallow up the light that is cast upon it?


	3. Chapter 1

1

James stepped into the office with long strides. His damp boots made thudding sounds with every step on the dark grey tiles, leaving a faint path of imprints on the hard surface. A lightweight bombproof armor pressed down on his shoulders, the thin, laser proof thermal shirt underneath the armor clinging to his skin.

While walking he took note of his surroundings; an automatism embedded deeply enough to barely take noticeable effort. A glass desk with heavy metal legs stood in front of a floor to ceiling window. To his right stood a large table surrounded with chairs, paper-thin datapads neatly stacked on the top, a carafe filled with water next to them.

He came to a halt a yard in front of the desk, standing, rather than seating himself in one of the two dark green chairs an arm's length away. Before clasping his hands behind his back, he wiped his damp hair back and noticed black streaks and dirt marking his hands. An inevitability due to the nature of his latest mission, he realized. While a drop of water mingled with sweat ran down his nape, he tipped up his head and addressed his leader. "Sir."

His first in command stood in front of the window and kept his gaze on a martial arts class on the nearby training field. "Did you complete the mission?" Aden Kai, leader of the Arrow Squad, asked.

"Affirmative." He sent the details of the mission outcome telepathically. "We've extracted the target and took him in for questioning."

A nod from his commander. "Good." Aden turned around, wearing the standard Arrow uniform consisting of black cargo pants, black boots and a military-style jacket–but for the gleaming arrow pin on the lapel of his jacket. "I need you for a different kind of assignment. I've sent you the file."

James inclined his head and waited for the notification in his mental vault, after which he downloaded the data. Thoroughly scanning the information, he returned his attention to Aden. "This is an unusual case."

Aden looked at him, his dark, slanted eyes expressing something foreign James couldn't grasp. "Yes. But I believe you to be the right fit for the job, considering your status as a senior Arrow. Your insight when training our recruits has always been most profound. Aside from that, your knowledge of telekinetic abilities will prove useful."

James stepped onto the psychic plane and studied the file again, while opening the attached picture of a young woman with mixed Asian and European features. Her dark hair cascaded in heavy waves over her shoulders, her skin a caramel tone. He lingered on her eyes. The outer corners were slightly up tilted, the irises deep brown, with something hidden inside them.

"There seems to be data missing," he said, returning his attention to his commander.

"Yes. You'll need to fill in the gaps to mentor her properly."

He kept quiet and looked out of the window, where the instructor of the martial arts class was showing her students a series of movements. The small woman was lithely muscled, yet her build took nothing away from the fact that she was deadly efficient when eliminating threats. There was no doubt in James' mind that Zaira was one of the most dangerous Arrows in the Squad, even if she had a gentle side when she interacted with the children and with her mate. He'd noticed the way her gaze changed when she looked at Aden. Now he wondered if Zaira's affection might amplify her protective nature.

"You could choose this life," Aden softly spoke.

He looked at Aden for a few moments before responding. "You already know my answer." They'd had this discussion before.

"I have the authority to ask."

"Disregarding the obvious reason, it would never be an even match." Mating was for those whose abilities could coexist with their mates. The balance of power between both parties needed to be even for any relationship to exist. With him, that would never be the case–the sheer power burning within left no room for anything or anyone weaker.

No.

He would destroy and consume. He always had. "The point is moot."

They remained silent for long minutes while watching Zaira's class. In the meantime, he weighed the costs and benefits before asking his next question. It was the way his mind worked. Calculating. Deliberate. Controlled. And never, _ever_ on impulse.

He decided that the answer would provide him with more insight than the depth of the question itself could betray. But he suspected Aden would know, would see. It was what made him the right leader for the Squad.

"Why?"

Dark eyes observed him, understood the nature of his query. "You need a rotation in your schedule." Aden crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned to him, the motion causing his sleek, black hair to brush his brow. "You've been working with the covert squad for longer than any other Arrow." He paused for a moment. "It's important to me to keep all of you healthy. Constant exposure for an extended period of time has proven harmful, even for those who wish to remain Silent."

"You believe my performance has suffered due to my continuous contributions to the team?"

An amused glint in his commander's eyes. "No, on the contrary. You've been most effective and adequate. But this young woman needs guidance and I want you to train her."

"Yes, sir." James inclined his head. "To the best of my abilities."

Aden's lips twitched. "I trust you will. She'll arrive in a few hours."


	4. Chapter 2

2

Hi dad,

I'm going to be out of town for a couple of weeks. I'll be traveling somewhere where it might be hard to contact you, so don't get too worried if you don't hear from me for a while. I'll comm/message you whenever I can. Love you!

P.S.: Don't work too much and don't forget to watch the final match Sunday. I want to hear all about it when I get back!

Hales

\- Message from Hailey Logan to Abu Logan

Hailey had never before felt the odd fragmentation of her body and hoped she never would again. She placed her duffel and guitar on the emerald green grass below her feet and closed her eyes. Bracing her hands on her thighs, she gulped in the fresh air of her surroundings, hoping it would end the nauseous churning in her stomach. Teleportation always sounded fun and useful, but it clearly wasn't as great as she'd expected.

Hailey angled her face toward the tall man next to her, who had teleported her to her current location. Cool grey eyes met hers. "Do you need some water?"

The polite question would have made her laugh if she wasn't feeling so sick. "I need a beer," she muttered.

For a moment she thought she saw a crease appear between the teleporter's eyebrows. Of course that had been a mistake, because the man beside her was one of the Psy. Even though Silence was broken, Hailey had yet to meet a Psy with a facial expression other than a combination of stone, boredom and ice.

A bottle of water appeared in the teleporter's hand an instant later, and he offered it to her. Able to breathe through the nauseating feeling, Hailey slowly stood up straight and accepted the drink. "Thanks."

A curt nod from the man beside her, as he said, "Aden will be here in a minute."

Apparently, that was enough of an explanation; the man vanished into thin air. Eyebrow arching, Hailey waved her hand through the air where the teleporter had been standing two seconds earlier, as if he'd turned invisible instead of disappearing to another place on the planet.

"Behave yourself, Hales," she mumbled to herself, after which she took a sip of water. Remembering what Dev had told her about his contacts, Hailey was well aware she was in a very unique situation that required her best behavior.

_Hailey walked into Devraj's large office and waved at the tall male sprawled in one of the chairs in front of the big, mahogany desk. Aubry could be charming with his Texas accent, but he also had a sharp mind and was one of Dev's most trusted advisors. _

_Dev sat in the large chair behind the desk, frowning at the transparent screen while listening to the caller on the other end of the phone he was holding. He held up his hand in acknowledgment of her entrance and gestured towards the empty chair next to Aubry. _

"_Is the boss in a good mood today?" she whispered to Aubry while Dev was working out a negotiation. _

_The corners of Aubry's mouth twitched as he shrugged, his deep brown skin catching a golden glow in the sunlight shimmering through the floor to ceiling window. "You know those three teenagers we recently busted shoplifting?" _

_Hailey nodded–her friend Aiseline had told her about the incident. She knew all three boys, since she'd had them in her class every Monday and Wednesday. _

"_Dev's making sure he has a face to face meeting with each of them." Aubry's smile grew. _

_Biting her cheek not to laugh herself, Hailey whispered, "Ouch. They are definitely in deep shit." _

_Aubry winked at her. They both knew how scrupulous Devraj Santos, director of the Shine foundation and leader of the Forgotten, could be. Hailey wondered what punishments he would lay out for the boys, since they had probably used their abilities in some shape or form during the crime. Normally you could put away such behavior as teenagers acting on their impulses, but Forgotten weren't normal kids. They could unintentionally hurt people or take advantage of others if their abilities got out of control. Dev wouldn't go easy on them, that much was certain. _

"_Miss Logan." Dev's voice snapped her to attention; his eyes reflecting gold fragments one second, bronze the next. _

"_Thank you for seeing me," Hailey answered. _

_Folding his hands on top of his desk, Dev leaned forward. "How are you doing?" _

_Not bothered by the fact that Aubry was sitting in on this meeting, Hailey answered truthfully. "Crappy. I barely sleep… and I miss the kids," she said, referring to her work. _

_Dev's hard eyes seemed to soften a little. "You need to gain some kind of control over your abilities. I've been trying to find a solution in house for you, but our new training base isn't finished yet. Besides that, I don't think anyone within the Shine foundation or the Forgotten has any idea how to help. That's why I reached out to one of my contacts." _

_Dev's tone made her curious. She gave him a wary glance. "Who do you mean by, 'contacts?'"_

The answer to that question was why Hailey was now at the highly secure and secret location of the Arrow's valley. A training institution for their young as well as a home for all the Arrows that wished to stay with their brethren, the valley was a gorgeous stretched out piece of land filled with flowerbeds, small houses set in groupings, larger buildings and curving pathways to connect the buildings. To Hailey's left was an area that looked like a playground with several tall trees, benches and playground equipment, including a curved slide and swings. Surrounding the compound were forests that stretched to the mountains on either side of the site.

Hailey assumed the smaller buildings were the family units she'd been told about during her conversation with Dev and Aubry. Each house was different in size and shape. The architecture reminded Hailey of changeling living compounds; large windows, warm colors and built in graceful lines.

_The larger buildings must be training facilities and housing units for the soldiers of some kind,_ Hailey thought to herself.

Being a teacher for some of the Forgotten teenagers, she took care of music and acting classes. It was high school where Hailey had developed a passion for acting. Her love for music was rooted even deeper; it came from a time when she'd been a small girl sitting on her father's lap, both of them playing the piano while her mother sat on the sofa and listened with a proud smile.

Putting away the beautiful memory edged with sadness, Hailey wondered how she was supposed to teach formerly Silent Psy children about acting and making music. Though, it did make sense in a way: experiencing emotions and observing others expressing their feelings would be a good way to learn emotional subtleties. It would provide the children with a solid base for daily interactions with humans and changelings.

With Silence now broken, Hailey hoped all three races would be able to intermingle more. Hailey had one male Psy co-worker at the school where she'd worked, but aside from him, she never associated much with the other race.

Silence had separated the cold Psy from the humans, while changelings were naturally inclined to remain in their territories. Even though changelings interacted with humans more, there still was an almost palpable barrier between humans and changelings.

Hailey believed the reason for that was the protective nature of the predatory packs. They owned the territory, and if humans populated that territory, the humans fell under their protection. It was a matter of power differential–not the best way to start any kind of relationship.

Taking another sip of water before shoving the bottle inside her duffel, Hailey watched as a man in black cargo pants and a moss green t-shirt walked toward her. Aside from being leader of the notorious Arrow Squad, Aden Kai was also a member of the Ruling Coalition, which made him one of the major power players in the PsyNet. With the Psy Council gone, Hailey hoped the Forgotten members would have more freedom, and would no longer have to fear lethal repercussions if discovered.

Not entirely Psy but not fully human either, the Forgotten were a cluster of defectors who had chosen to cut themselves off from the PsyNet at the dawn of Silence, unwilling to go through the process of emotional conditioning. That choice hadn't been without sacrifice. The Forgotten rebels had lived in secret amongst the other races for a century, hidden in fear of the Psy Council.

Because the Forgotten were partially Psy, they required the psychic biofeedback from a network in order to survive. At the moment of defection, the rebels had attempted to form a second psychic network. Luckily for them their attempt had succeeded.

Under the Silence Protocol, the PsyNet had been referred to as a starscape, with each star representing a Psy in the endless black of the Net. As of a few months ago, the fine gold net of the Honeycomb, a creation of the empaths, interconnected the Psy.

The ShadowNet wasn't nearly as organized. A tangle of threads connected the stars to each other, some threads strong and thick, others weaker and thin. Unlike the Psy, the Forgotten had intermingled with humans and changelings alike. With this unique mix of races came new abilities. And sometimes these abilities weren't easily harnessed, like Hailey's.

Devraj had told Hailey he'd been having meetings with Aden Kai about teaching children how to control their powers. Their cooperation strengthened Hailey's hope for a better future for the children–and possibly even for herself. It would be highly unethical for a kingpin–who was rumored to side with the empaths more often than not–to condone the elimination of Forgotten members. Maybe they could finally come out of hiding and live their lives in true freedom.

Hailey understood why Dev wasn't as optimistic about that last thought as she was. The reason for his skepticism was because the PsyCouncil had gone through great lengths to find and eliminate the Forgotten in the past. Their main goal had been to hide the fact that survival without the PsyNet was possible, which would have made the Council an unnecessary power.

She knew of former Councilors who had kidnapped Forgotten members to experiment on and use the abilities for their own benefit. Most of those tormented had been small children. Hailey shivered at the thought of her students undergoing such cruelties.

_But you can't judge an entire race by the actions of a few. _Her stay at the valley would either confirm or disclaim that thought. She reminded herself of Dev's stern words.

"_Aubry will be your… handler, for lack of a better term. If there are any problems, you'll communicate with him." A hard look. "Don't fuck this up." _

_Her eyebrow arched as she tried to respond to that statement. _

_Dev held up his hand to cut her off. "No, this is exactly what I mean. Don't question everything. Don't talk back to them. I know you;_ you_ know you. That brain and smart mouth of yours can turn you into a brat sometimes." He paused for a moment, as if he was considering whether to tell her the next part. When he continued, his eyes turned a deep, dark brown. _

"_The Arrows are elite soldiers, trained under the most brutal circumstances and honed in blood. A lot of blood. Even though some people now consider them to be protectors for assisting during the violent Psy outbreaks and EmNet emergencies, they are and always will be lethal assassins. Don't ever forget who they are and what they can do, Hailey." _

_He narrowed his eyes at her uncharacteristic silence. "And don't forget you represent not only yourself, but the Forgotten and me in particular. So be polite, say please and thank you. If that's too difficult, nod. Just make sure your temper doesn't get the best of you."_

The memory made Hailey clench her fists, the half-moon shapes of her nails digging into the palms of her hands. Dev could really be an ass sometimes. But he was also right. _Sometimes. _

She now considered Devraj's motivation when she'd asked why she'd been offered this training opportunity. Dev had answered he'd arranged it because the Arrows were used to dealing with similar problems as some of the Forgotten were currently facing.

Hailey understood Devraj's reasoning but she also believed he was overlooking one major detail. The Arrows had eliminated their problems with brutal training regimes _in _Silence. It meant the Arrows were… well, not remotely similar to her in any shape or form.

Hailey hoped–really, desperately hoped–their training regimen would help her, but deep down she was unsure of it. Her doubt was amplified by the fact that she was a completely different race than the Psy, could respond differently–or not at all–to their usual routines. Yet, the core of the training remained the same for her and for young Arrows; to gain control. She'd have to wait and see and give it her all.

Putting her thoughts aside, she extended her hand towards the muscled, dark eyed man who'd come to a standstill one yard in front of her. Right at that moment she remembered the Psy's aversion to touch. Then again, they broke Silence. So they were allowed to touch, right?

_But that doesn't mean they _want_ to touch another human being._

Shit.

She would be the worst envoy of the Forgotten _ever, _already messing things up before she even spoke one word to the man she knew to be Aden Kai.

Aden seemed to notice her hesitation and extended his hand, his olive-toned skin a shade lighter than her own. "I hope your trip here was without issues?" he asked.

Hailey looked into his dark, slanted eyes and nodded as she released his hand. "Yes, thank you," she answered. _See? She could be polite._ "And thanks for taking the time to meet me and help me."

Aden inclined his head a fraction while he gestured for them to walk toward one of the smaller buildings on the side of the compound. Hailey picked up her duffel and slung her guitar over her shoulder before falling into step beside the Arrow's commander. It struck her as odd, notwithstanding the fact that this man was supposed to be one of the most dangerous people on the planet, he seemed… approachable.

"You have friends in unexpected places," Aden said as he waved to a group of children calling his name from the playground where they were chasing each other. "DarkRiver, by extension of SnowDancer, vouches for you."

Hailey blinked and stared at the clean profile of Aden's face. "DarkRiver?"

It shouldn't have surprised her that the Squad had done a thorough background check. Before Hailey's stay at the Arrow facility had been approved from the Squad's end, she'd been summoned for a mandatory evaluation session with an empath.

The cardinal, who'd introduced himself as Chang, had explained the reason for the evaluation: to be sure of Hailey's intentions. Although the meeting had taken over half an hour, Chang had raised his eyebrow after two minutes and had asked if she was always this straight forward in her communication.

The memory made her lips kick up as she thought about Aden's reference to two of the most powerful changeling packs in the country. She didn't know any leopards or wolves personally, especially not since San Francisco and its surrounding areas were DarkRiver/SnowDancer territory. Hailey lived in New York, where she owned an apartment in Chelsea. Manhattan was Eagle Changeling territory.

Then it hit her. "Ah! Talin?"

When Aden nodded to confirm her question, Hailey shot him a small smile. She'd crossed paths with Talin McKade–who, Hailey now remembered, was mated to a DarkRiver leopard–on several occasions regarding Forgotten teenagers.

After making a mental note to grab a coffee when Talin would swing by the city, Hailey focused on the Psy male next to her.

"Santos sent me a file about the problems you are having with your abilities," Aden said as he gestured her to take a seat at the picnic table in front of a small cabin.

The cabin looked like it was plucked straight out of the Alps, with small windows and a tiny porch. Hailey took a seat across from Aden after putting her luggage on the ground.

"Yes, he told me he would." She looked up to the Arrow commander, her hands folded together on the table. "My main ability has always been similar to a low-Gradient Psy's Tk, but a few months ago, I started losing control. Everything seems off since then." When he didn't reply she continued, her eyes on her fidgeting fingers. "I don't understand what's happening, but until I do, Dev suggested I observe and attend your training routines so I can get a hold on things."

Hailey exhaled deeply. Her hands were trembling slightly and she was feeling shaky. Part of it was probably due to the after effect of the teleport, but she knew part of it was her anxiety of what would happen next.

_All those screams in her head. Shards slicing through the air. Drops of blood falling from her fingertips._

Shivering, Hailey touched the jagged scar running horizontally over the inner side of her left forearm. When she'd sustained the would, it had almost been as long as her index finger, but the blood… she hadn't known a injury like that could bleed so badly. After the deep wound had closed up, the size had been reduced to the length her pinkie. The tissue was still a little red, although the color had faded over the past few months. All the other scars had been healed, but this one she wanted to keep… because she'd survived. It also reminded her of another truth; she couldn't blame all Psy for the bad experience she'd had.

_Well, 'bad' doesn't actually cut it, does it? _

Shutting up the voice in her mind, Hailey looked up at Aden, his physical appearance a mix of Asian influences and something she couldn't instantly name. Psy were known for their tendency to mix genetics in order to sire children that could continue their psychic legacy. She wondered what Aden's parents' psychic abilities were for him to have inherited such a powerful gift. She'd seen blurry fragments of footage on the news channel after an attempted hit on the Arrow's leader. To many, it enhanced their fascination–and fear–of the lethal men and women of the Squad.

Aden observed her quietly, the sharp lines of his face more neutral than expressionless. "I see. We'll see what we can do for you. In the meantime, you can settle in this cabin." Hailey followed his gaze to the small chalet. "I've arranged for a senior Arrow to be your mentor–you'll mostly be training with him." His gaze went to her hands before he made eye contact again. "You are aware of the rules as per our agreement for your stay here?"

Hailey nodded, aware that her stay at the valley required a boatload of trust from the man across from her. The initial prospect was for her to stay in the valley for two months, after which would follow an evaluation to gauge her control levels.

"No contact with the outside world without your consent. No use of psychic networks. No photos or videos." It would be hard, not to reach out to her loved ones through the ShadowNet, but her friend Shane and her father would forgive Hailey's absence if it meant she could _finally_ be part of the normal world again.

"You will be telepathically shielded," Aden said, his tone inexorable.

She glanced up at him, her tone wary. "Dev mentioned that. Shielded only, right? No telepathic invasion of any kind?"

Aden inclined his head.

Even though the idea of someone chaining her mind made her feel on edge, Hailey understood why the Arrows were being cautious. Their reasons were similar to Dev's; the more people who knew about the abilities and whereabouts of the children, the higher the chance of people trying to profit from the most vulnerable and gifted among them.

Just thinking of the time when children on the radar of the Shine foundation had been taken made her angry. She clenched her fists.

Again, Aden observed her but said nothing.

"Besides that, the only important thing is that I'm supposed to teach a few classes, right?" she said, forcing her hands to relax.

"Yes, though I think the teenagers won't be the only ones attending." The tiniest fraction of a smile appeared on his face, long lashes lowering over eyes that suddenly held a warm expression. "Some of my brethren seem to be curious about you and your contributions here. I must warn you that not everyone will be welcoming. Some will see you as a possible threat to the young; others will not understand my reasons for approving your stay. See to it that you follow the rules."

Those last words eliminated every soft expression on Aden's face, and Hailey understood this was a man who'd go through great lengths to protect his people.

Swallowing her automatic acerbic response, she nodded. _Dev would be so proud._

"I'll need my organizer for the music class I'll be teaching," she said. "It was sealed up by the teleporter, right before we left the city." Now a slim plascrete-like container held the device. Hailey figured it was some kind of security measure, but the only thing–aside from recreational use–the organizer contained were several programs, which she could utilize to compose and record music. Aside from that, her organizer was one of the few reasons why Hailey hadn't gone completely crazy. It gave her access to a database to listen to all kinds of music. During the time when her ability had peaked–which had led to disastrous results–music had been her lifeline.

Aden's response left no room for arguments, a Psy alpha, but an alpha nonetheless. "I'll only agree if one of our senior tech staff checks the device first. If there are no red flags, you'll be permitted to use it."

"Fine with me."

A few hours later Hailey was settled in the cabin, having brought some changes of clothes as well as a few old-fashioned notebooks and pencils for her classes. She thrust a hand into her hair as she looked through the space.

The small living area was complete with an entertainment comm and a black loveseat. On the other side of the living space stood two chairs and a wooden table–currently littered with the notebooks and a small backpack. There was a kitchen unit to the right of the front door, with a small window above the sink that looked out onto the picnic table outside.

Halfway through the cabin was a sliding door, behind which was the bedroom and a bathroom area. The bedroom was narrow, but large enough to fit one person. Hailey had already tested the bed and found the mattress to be a little hard, but since she rarely slept more than a few hours, it didn't matter much. She'd already put away her clothes and the duffel in the dresser that stood across from the bed.

Small windows throughout made for a private living arrangement without feeling claustrophobic. If she'd use a bit of imagination, this could almost be a holiday instead of a two-month-long training course.

Half an hour after Hailey had settled in, a slender girl with big blue-green eyes and shiny blond hair knocked on her door. She introduced herself as Joyce and was one of the teenagers enrolled in Hailey's classes. Joyce said she'd been asked to show Hailey around the facility. She was a sweet, quiet girl, her responses prim. But for all her training, Joyce couldn't hide her gentle and shy nature, blushing every time Hailey focused on her.

They walked together over the large compound and Joyce showed Hailey a large building used as a common area for meals. After that, they strolled past the outdoor training field, an indoor training hall with all kinds of workout equipment, and the school building Hailey would be utilizing for her classes.

Waving goodbye to Joyce after the tour, Hailey remembered Aden told her he'd send one of the techs to her cabin to pick up her organizer later that afternoon. He also mentioned there would be a martial arts class on the outdoor training field before dinner.

Stepping through the sliding door into the bedroom, Hailey decided to freshen up and walked into the bathroom. Flicking on the light, she saw a small sink with a mirror, a toilet and a tiny shower cubicle.

Hailey stared at her reflection. Staring back was a young woman with long, wavy hair so dark brown, it was almost black. The heavy waves ended in ringlets just below the small of her back. She wiped her index finger across the dark spots under her eyes. The caramel hue of her skin spoke of mixed European and Asian ancestry, passed down by her Malaysian mother and Indian-British father. Her eyes were slightly up tilted at the outer corners and a plain dark brown, but for the jade and gold flecks that intensified depending on her mood.

"God, Hales… you look tired," she muttered. She rolled her eyes at her reflection. _Really? Months of sleepless nights makes a person tired? You don't say. _

Sighing, she removed her top, splashed some water onto her face and sprayed on some deodorant. After selecting a black top with floral print from the dresser and sliding the garment on, she ran a brush through her hair and decided to leave it down. Hailey gave herself one more look in the mirror before glancing at the digital display on the wall. The martial arts class would start in an hour, so she'd have some time to–

A knock at the door broke through her thoughts.

Hailey walked through the sliding doors of the bedroom to find the front door of the cabin already open. Scowling, she looked up at the tall man standing in the doorway. With his hands clasped behind his back and his legs slightly spread he stood perfectly still, a soldier at rest.

About to comment that the reason for people to knock was to _wait _until the other party gave you an answer, her eyes locked with those of the deepest azure blue she'd ever seen. Bright and hard, ringed with midnight Prussian, the contrast between light and dark striking. The color was so extremely intense, her train of thought derailed for a moment.

_Wow. _

It reminded her of tropical beaches, where the sun made the ocean sparkle and fine white sand stuck to your skin as warm water lapped at your feet. Places with palm trees, small, colorful fish and sea-scented air.

Only these eyes did not hold the warmth of sun-drenched beaches. No, these eyes were _cold._

Pinned on the spot, Hailey fought the instinctive shiver this man incited. Not a sexy shiver, but a cold shiver. Memories flashed through her mind and she felt her hands involuntarily clench.

_Calm down. Blue eyes, not brown, _she reminded herself. Inhaling quietly, Hailey found herself creeped out even more because the man–who hadn't said a word the entire time she'd been staring at him–was really, _really_ handsome.

He filled up the entire doorframe of the cabin, making the space feel even smaller than it already was. His dark blond hair had a slight wave, long enough to touch his nape and lightly brush his brow. His skin was dusted gold, as if he spent a lot time outside, and was pulled tightly over a strong jaw. Hailey's eyes ran over the soft shape of his lower lip, the upper one wickedly curved. Then her gaze skidded to the ridged lines showing through the black of his plain t-shirt, making it obvious the man was athletically built.

Every cell in her body was on high alert while she absently traced the scar on her left arm. _Blue eyes, not brown, _she repeated as she exhaled shakily.

Because where she'd usually appreciate such a gorgeous hunk of a guy, this man seemed so impossibly cold, he scared her. It was as if he could look at the most terrible disasters in the world and not feel a single thing. _Which may be true, because some Psy are still_ _Silent,_ Hailey reminded herself.

This man, with darkness in his clear eyes, reminded her of an assassin from her favorite movie.

Trying to shake the eerie feeling since she was supposed to be polite, Hailey attempted to ignore the stony, statuesque stand of the man and greeted him.

When he didn't respond, she swallowed and tried again. "Are you here to pick up my organizer?"

"Yes," was the very elaborate response.

Hailey fought the urge to shiver once more as she walked to the small table in the kitchen area and took the organizer out of her backpack. His deep, dark voice had been oddly flat, another reminder some Psy remained Silent even though Silence had been broken. The device tapped against the plascrete surface of the container as Hailey walked back.

She handed the beautiful, icy man the device. "I'm Hailey by the way, Hailey Logan." _Being polite was going really well. Just breathe. _Hailey squared her shoulders and tipped up her head.

"James Addison." Again, that odd combination of deep and flat tones that sounded like nails on a chalkboard to the harmonies in her mind.

"Right," she answered, feeling a bit awkward since James talked so little. "Have you got any idea when you'll be able to get it back to me?" She nodded at the organizer in his hands. "I need it to prepare some classes I'll be teaching."

Hailey dared to look up into those mesmerizing depths of blue again, wondering if there was a spark of life somewhere. All her gaze met was a cold stare.

"No," James answered her question.

Getting a little annoyed by the limited amount of words this cold man was speaking, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "All right, I'll have to wait for your work to be done then. Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked sharply.

Suddenly, Hailey was convinced she saw a flash of… _something_ in James' eyes. Her own eyes narrowing, she tapped her foot onto the floor and waited for his response. He glared at her a few seconds, running his gaze up and down her small frame.

_What the hell is _wrong_ with this guy? Being Silent doesn't equal being mute. _

Forgetting the fact James made her feel like he could snap every bone in her body and then casually eat dinner as if nothing had happened, Hailey's irritation grew, pushing away her anxiety at the proximity of him.

"Well?" she snapped.

The look he shot her made the alarms in her head ring louder as the temperature in the room dropped.

It should have been impossible, but goose bumps covered her skin the next instant and her breath was forming small clouds in the air. Rubbing her hands over her bare arms, she waited for him to answer.

"No," James said as he turned away from the door and walked over to another building several yards away. Hailey realized she was still hugging herself, even though the cold had left with the man who'd brought it.

Walking to the outdoor training field an hour later, Hailey shook off the strange encounter she'd had with the man that reminded her of unmoving mountains and stone.

The martial arts class had already started, and the instructor was a small, lithely muscled woman with light skin and her dark hair in a short ponytail. Wearing flowy black pants and a black top, she showed her students a short routine of several movements. The students copied her moves while the instructor walked around and gave them pointers.

Hailey sat down cross-legged and observed the class. Every so often the small woman would walk to the front of the field to show the students a new routine, after which they practiced the movements themselves.

Hailey watched with fascination. "God," she whispered. "She moves so fluidly."

In awe of this gorgeously agile, dark-eyed woman, Hailey knew she'd never make the mistake to believe her weak. No, with every move the instructor made Hailey could tell she was _lethal_, deadly graceful and effective. Hailey figured the instructor would probably take less than three seconds to put her on her ass–or worse.

Distracted by a movement to her right, she heard a familiar voice say, "You should try it."

Frowning, Hailey looked up at James. "I don't think I could move like that even if I practiced for years." Although she'd always been good at various sports she'd tried, Hailey was certain she wouldn't be able to pull off martial arts that quickly. It was already quite clear to her that hand-to-hand combat required a large amount of focus, willpower and skill. Willpower she had in abundance. Focus and skill, however…

Expressionless, hard, _beautiful_ eyes looked at her. "It would be a valuable exercise for you, considering your body mass to height ratio."

Hailey sat completely dumbstruck by that comment for a fragment of a second. But she'd never been good at keeping her mouth shut. "Jesus!" she exclaimed. "Did you just call me fat?" Fire rushed through her veins as she jumped up. "You just met me an hour ago and now you think it's okay to comment on my physique? What the hell is wrong with you?"

James looked at her in silence, as if he hadn't just been one of the rudest people she'd ever met. Clenching her fists and gritting her jaw, Hailey decided to ignore him.

_Be polite, be polite, be polite. _

Repeating that mantra in her mind, she crossed her arms to hide her fists and turned back to watch the class as the students began sparring with each other.

"Zaira is an excellent instructor. She'll be able to teach you some basic moves."

Hailey was getting more and more pissed off. Counting to twenty before facing James, she said, "Would you be so kind as to leave? I was simply enjoying watching the training session and I don't require your 'advice'," emphasizing that last word by using her fingers as quotation marks.

_Dev would be proud indeed. Being polite is going just fine. _

Turning to watch the class again, James' odd voice begged her attention and she reluctantly looked back. "Learning martial arts would teach you discipline, something you would clearly benefit from." He glanced over her frame, just like he'd done in the cabin. "In addition, it provides you a physical release, of which you would also be the beneficiary."

Hailey was almost trembling with rage, ready to unleash it onto this statue of a man. "Who the fuck do you think you are to say something like that to me?"

_Well, there goes being polite._

Yes, Hailey was quite aware she was curvy, her voluptuous hourglass shape courtesy of her mother. And okay, she actually did have some extra layers to love–food was just way too good to trade for a slim waistline. She'd long ago accepted and embraced that she would never be skinny, and she was really happy with herself. Still, being told by a complete stranger that she didn't fit the popular opinion of beauty was offending, to say the least. Who was he to judge her?

Then she reminded herself that a complete stranger was riling her up. Maybe that said more about her than it did of him. He was Psy. He was Silent. He probably wasn't aware that his comment was really rude and humiliating. In the spirit of teaching others and learning new things herself, she decided to try a different approach.

In the meantime, James was still looking at her as he would at a bug that was being dissected; all cool and distant.

Hailey took a deep breath, steadied herself and tried again. "I guess this is new for you, being Silent and all," she started, "but the things you just said are extremely inappropriate and rude, which is why I responded badly. I apologize for my behavior, but it's not right to be this blunt about something so personal."

James studied her with that detached look, then nodded curtly. "You're right; I do choose to be Silent. However, I've been taught about human interactions. I was merely stating the facts."

Hailey was even more dumbstruck than before. And she lost her temper a little more. "So you _knew _you were being a jerk and still you chose to say those things to me?" She was completely stupefied by this display of extremely crude behavior. "I really don't get it. Why do you think it's okay to say stuff like that?"

He handed Hailey her organizer and began walking away before he answered her question. "Because I'm your mentor."

_Well, shit. _

So this was the guy she had to train with on a regular base, and she'd already bad-mouthed him the second time they'd met.

Great. Just fantastic.

Sighing and accepting there was no changing it now, Hailey turned to see the martial arts class had come to an end. Some of the teenagers kept talking and practicing while others walked towards the family units, while the instructor–whose name was apparently Zaira–walked toward Hailey.

Hailey shrugged off the annoying conversation with James and directed her attention to the woman that was Aden Kai's mate.

"That was really impressive," she told Zaira. "Your moves are incredible!"

Zaira inclined her head in thanks. "Have you settled in already?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you. I've been told I should ask you for help if I want to learn some martial arts myself."

Zaira nodded. "James asked me if I could train you. I see the two of you have already met?"

Hailey wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a fine layer of dry humor coating that statement. "Yes," her smile was all teeth. "What a charming man he is."

Zaira's eyes gleamed as she gestured her head left in order for Hailey to follow her.

Crossing the training field towards the family units, Hailey sighed. "Well, I guess I don't need him to be charming. I need him to be helpful and effective. I hope that my personality won't have a negative influence on our work relationship."

"It will be fine. And if not, I'll ask Aden and see if someone else is able to monitor your progress."

Even though James had proven himself extremely capable of pushing her buttons after only two short conversations, Hailey figured there was a viable reason why they were paired up. He probably possessed skills and knowledge he'd be able to teach her, otherwise Aden wouldn't have selected him. She didn't think the very serious-seeming Arrows would pull some kind of prank on her just to watch her lose her shit–which meant she'd have to suck it up and deal with James, regardless of his harsh words and her instinctive response to bite back.

Hailey shot Zaira a smile in thanks but decided not to take her up on her offer just yet. Then she felt the need to ask something more serious. "He's really, _really _Silent, isn't he?" Detached from the world, a tall statue of a man all by himself.

"If he is," Zaira responded, "there's a reason why he chooses to be that way." A small frown appeared on the face of the female Arrow, then she shook her head.

And Hailey wondered once more what could drive a man to such frigid emptiness.


	5. Chapter 3

3

It's not the same as I've experienced around psychopaths, around people like Blake, but there is so little my empathic senses pick up around him, and when I do feel something... He's adapted the least of the senior Arrows. Vasic is worried.

He's one of the few Arrows who consciously chooses to go on as many live missions as possible. I've requested him for one of the family units but he immediately declined, even though he's never hurt any of the children, not even under Ming's leadership.

That's not what I'm worried about. He'll break, Aden. If something doesn't change soon...

I don't give up on my Arrows.

I know. They all know. The question is: has he given up on himself?

\- Conversation between Ivy Jane-Zen and Aden Kai

Five days later Hailey hadn't seen or heard from James. It seemed her 'mentor' liked to delegate, since she had been training with several other Arrow instructors, learning basic skills and a routine suitable for her height and experience level.

That was just fine with her. Looking into those penetrating azure-colored eyes made her extremely uneasy. How could someone that harsh be that handsome? It was like a cruel joke of nature.

_Jesus, Hales. Get a grip! _

Sighing, Hailey grabbed her backpack filled with notepads and pencils. Her first acting class would start in twenty minutes and she wanted to arrive in time so she could greet the students.

She walked to school building Joyce had shown her. The square structure had one large front door and four different-sized classrooms, each equipped with state-of-the-art electronic boards she could utilize for her classes. Hailey was assigned the largest room, after having discussed with Aden she might need the space for some of the exercises she would be doing.

Becoming familiar with the twelve teenagers who attended her class was the primary goal of the first lesson. Hailey had requested her door to be kept open at all times, so anyone could walk away or step inside as they pleased.

Welcoming the students as they walked in fifteen minutes later, Hailey handed out the notepads and pencils and asked each of the teenagers to write down their names before introducing herself.

"My name is Hailey Logan, and I'll be teaching you about emotions and acting during this course," she started as she sat down on top of the desk in the front of the classroom. "I'm twenty-eight and I live in Manhattan. My mom was a New Yorker, my dad's British. I don't have any siblings, but since I get to spend my time teaching children your age, I don't think I'm missing out."

She studied the solemn expression of the children in front of her. "We're going to do all kinds of different exercises that require emotion and communication before we'll be hitting off with the big stuff. If you have any questions regarding the exercises, please ask them. Maybe some of the things I'm doing won't make sense to you, but trust me; I always have valid reason and I'm always willing to explain it in detail."

After receiving small nods, Hailey started off with low-threshold exercises. The first exercise was simply one in which the teenagers were to name something they liked. It could be a preferred sport, food, clothes, activities, anything really. She found it concerning that some of the teenagers couldn't name anything, not even after several examples were given.

"How about combat training?" she asked Robin, a tall, slender boy with light blond hair and freckles on his cheeks.

"No." His green eyes gave her a flat look. Hailey estimated Robin was fifteen, but the age in his eyes belied his youth.

_Remember. Go slow, _Hailey thought to herself. "Okay, so I have an idea. Maybe we should skip this for now so you can think about it in the course of the day. And the next time you return to class, I'm sure you'll have thought of something."

Eyes still flat, Robin gave her a curt nod and Hailey walked by the other teenagers.

After getting several answers from the other kids, she did an interconnecting exercise so they could respond to each other's answers.

"What about you?" the slender girl with big, blue-green eyes asked Hailey.

Joyce, she recalled.

Hailey smiled. "Well, I _really_ like cookie dough ice cream and I'm a sucker for a good homemade lasagna. I love singing and playing guitar and piano, which you guys will find out if you attend the music course I'll be teaching." She tilted her head a little to the side. "I often go swimming and enjoy reading. Besides that, I'm also a big fan of European football–courtesy of my father–and snowboarding."

"Have you ever been snowboarding?" Joyce asked, curiosity glimmering in her eyes.

"Yes," Hailey grinned. "I try to do it at least once a year. I was able to test the new high-tech boards during my last trip. They're able to boost your jumps during tricks." She pursed her lips. "It's a lot of fun as long as you don't fall flat on your face. Snow looks soft but it hurts a lot if you smack onto it at those speeds."

A movement to her left.

_Ah. Mister Rude and Inappropriate decided to pay a visit. _Hailey squared her shoulders and arched her eyebrow at James in silent invitation to comment on her story.

He took the bait. "What do you know of being hurt?"

She froze at his question and tried to push the emerging nightmares into small corner of her mind. _So much for starting off carefully and using appropriate content for these kids. _

The hard look James gave her made her want to throw something at him, just to get a response. Instead of acting on that impulse, Hailey released a breath and spoke."Not much, but maybe more than you think," she answered truthfully, ready to duel with this statue of a man once more, but unwilling to be someone, something other than herself.

Before coming to the valley, Hailey had heard the Arrows referred to as shadows in the PsyNet, the ones who were so lethal and controlled, they could frighten even the strongest cardinals. Regular soldiers went through excruciating training routines. The men, women and children of the Arrow Squad were trained to be the most brutal elite black ops soldiers. No one got that good and in control of their abilities without making tremendous sacrifices.

"Not in the way I believe you're talking about," Hailey answered. "I will never understand what it is to hurt the same way as some of you have been." She met the gazes of the children in front of her. "As you will never fully comprehend the hurts I've experienced."

"You pretend." It was spoken flat and soft by the green-eyed boy in front of her, but Hailey could taste the anger in Robin's every word. "That's what they all do. They laugh and talk but lie. The other races feel superior by thinking less of the Psy for being Silent. If that is the purpose of feeling emotions, then I choose to be Silent."

"I won't argue with you that there are people who use emotions to manipulate, to take advantage of others. But there are so many more nuances to emotional interaction than what you described, Robin." Hailey leaned against her desk. "I'm willing to show you, but you'll have to be willing to let me. If you believe I'm not your equal because I haven't endured physical pain, that's your choice."

She folded her hands in her lap as she made eye contact with each of the children sitting in front of her. "Each of you are the expert of your own situation; I only intend to show you different angles to that situation. I'm not here to judge you. During my classes, you can never do anything wrong. You can never fail."

Joyce gave her a wary glance. "Why not?"

Hailey inhaled as her heart tightened. The fact that they were apprehensive of her words and were questioning her intentions gave her a small indication of the scars these children bore. "Because it's about exploring your emotions. And feelings of anger, insecurity, sadness and pain are part of the emotional spectrum. I don't expect you to always be happy, but I do expect you to participate and show your classmates and me respect." She paused. "I'm here to learn together with you."

Drawing in another breath before continuing, Hailey chose her next words with care. She needed one thing to be very clear. "I'm not your superior and won't hand out punishments when something doesn't work out the way you've planned it. Failure doesn't necessarily equal setback. Failure creates a learning curve, so it is a part of life." She knew the latter all too well. "The choice is yours. If you want to leave, then go. There will be no repercussions and I won't think any less of you. If you want to stay, I'll see you tomorrow." She gestured towards the door.

The teenagers got the hint and stood up from their tables, returning their writing materials to her desk before walking past James. Hailey noticed he received nods from all of the students and responded with an inclination of his head. She observed quietly and realized James _was_ able to interact with these scarred children in a way that granted him respect and even some slight smiles. It hinted that, even though he was cold and Silent, he wasn't some hideous and cruel robot. Alas, that discovery didn't lessen her irritation at his provoking question.

"What was that about?" she demanded as soon as the last student walked out of the room. She stomped past James and slammed the door shut so they could talk in private. After the door had closed with a bang, she turned to James with her arms crossed.

"I think they should put their time and effort in learning useful skills," James answered.

_How is it possible, _Hailey thought, _that this man is_ this_ infuriating after having spoken barely two sentences?_

"If you don't think my classes are of use, then don't come," was her measured response, still angry with him for calling her fat and now insinuating she was useless as well.

James opened the door. "Follow me," he said, the command apparent in his voice.

Hailey wondered why on God's earth some of the children had smiled at this dominant man. She tipped up her chin and stood her ground, uncrossing her arms and fisting her hands tightly. "You can either speak to me like another human being or keep silent. I'm not a dog."

He stared at her for long moments and Hailey suppressed a shiver, the drum of her heart the only noise filling the quiet.

"I can make you."

The obvious threat made her scalp prickle and her neck hairs rise. Panic crept through her body and she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. _Blue eyes, Hailey. He has blue eyes, not brown._

The tables and chairs in the room started to shudder.

Unclenching and clenching her fists, Hailey inhaled deeply and exhaled after closing her eyes. _He has no reason to harm you. He doesn't seem to have harmed the children. His eyes are blue. Blue like the ocean in warm, tropical places._

Mentally counting to ten, Hailey opened her eyes to find James calmly observing her. The furniture stopped moving and Hailey dug up a vein of defiance to tap into, her anger wiping away her fear. "Please lead the way, Lord Addison."

_Yeah, that wasn't very polite._ However, it was a nice nickname, considering the man acted as if he stood above everything and anyone.

His eyes narrowed a fraction, though it might have been due to the sunlight coming through the windows, making him squint. When he turned, Hailey stuffed the notebooks and pencils in her bag before she followed him.

Walking in uncomfortable silence, they headed towards a small field on the outskirts of the facility. James stopped when they were some distance away from the school building.

Dropping her backpack to the emerald grass, Hailey turned her face to the welcome warmth of the sun, needing the heat to stop herself from freezing under James' icy glares.

"Describe what you've been doing during training the past couple of days."

That commanding tone again, the depth of James' voice demanding her attention. It was the sound of a man who'd never tolerate contradiction. To Hailey, it only triggered defiance and resistance.

However, she decided to choose her battles and not instigate another argument–which would probably make her look even more incompetent than James already believed her to be. She flat out refused to play into his hand like that.

"I've been learning some basic techniques and a routine of movements," she answered.

James nodded and took several coins out of his pocket. He threw them at her.

Jerking, Hailey slammed out her hands and instinctively used her Tk to stop the projectiles from coming at her. "What the hell are you doing?" she growled, "I'm not a street performer."

"Keep them there," was his curt response, his voice still throwing her off guard, especially since the tones were changing somehow, the sound deeper, richer.

One of the coins fell to the ground. James shot her a look.

_Nice one. Focus, Hales. _Frowning, Hailey concentrated harder to levitate the coins halfway through the air between her and James.

"Now," James said, "show me the routine you've learned so far."

She met his gaze and the coins dropped a fraction. "You want me to levitate the coins _and_ do the martial arts routine at the same time?" Hailey thought about her abilities, then shook her head. "I'm not sure I can do that; my telekinesis isn't that strong."

"It has nothing to do with strength and everything to do with concentration, which," he pointed at the fallen coin, "you seem to lack. I didn't think you'd settle for poor execution. If you are unwilling to learn, leave."

Since leaving wasn't an option–Hailey was determined to get a grip on whatever was happening so she could claim ownership of her life again–she decided not to walk away and flip James off in the process. She did, however, decide to release some of her irritation, muttering, "The only thing poorly executed is your social skill."

"What?"

"Hmm?"

Not letting James piss her off further by his harsh behavior, Hailey started moving. She was glad she was wearing black yoga pants with a thin teal sweater dress, the sleeves pulled halfway up her arms so her clothing wouldn't hamper her moves.

Closing her eyes, Hailey let her body _flow _into the movements, pushing herself to give all while focusing on the objects she could 'feel' with her Tk. By the end of the routine, only two coins were still floating mid-air.

Gritting her teeth because she hated that she'd failed while James stood observing her all quiet and smug–_well, probably not smug since he's Silent–_she steered the two coins into her hand and picked up the fallen ones.

James held up his hand. "You were inattentive halfway through."

Hailey slid the coins into his hand, her fingertips touching his palm for an instant. Electricity zapped through her skin, the combination of the short contact and his deep voice making her gasp lightly. James jerked a fraction when her fingers grazed his hand.

Heat rushed to Hailey's cheeks and she quickly swiveled around, stepping in the opposite direction to create some distance between them.

_Oh, God! You just touched him, and he repulses touch, while you…_

Not wanting to think about her stupid bodily reaction, she focused on James' words and found power in responding to his matter-of-fact remark. "I'm trying my best."

"Try harder." It was a harsh order.

Hailey narrowed her eyes as she turned towards him. "I've been here for less than a week. You've had time to train for this stuff half a lifetime. You can't expect me to pull it off that quickly."

Steel in James' voice. "Do you want to gain control?"

Hailey stuck out her chin, her skin pulled taut over her cheekbones. "Yes," she gritted out.

"Once more."

This time when James threw the coins at her, she was prepared. Hailey shut her train of thought down and _focused. _Holding them in the air, she did the routine again. Five coins floated in the air by the end of the sequence.

Feeling sweat bead down her spine and the warm sun burning on her cheeks, she picked up the remnants and passed them on to James, careful not to touch him this time.

"You need to focus more." He gave her a flat glare.

Her responding smile was all teeth. "I _am_ trying to focus," she said sweetly.

"I see Robin was right," James said. "Your smile is as dishonest as your statement."

_What the hell?_ Hailey wiped the sweat off her forehead, feeling her head throb slightly as a result of psychic strain. "So this is about you proving me wrong?"

"No, this is about me teaching you how to concentrate. But it seems you really are unwilling to learn."

Eyes narrowing at that ridiculous statement, she said, "Once more."

James inclined his head. "Yes, only this time, each coin you drop will make me strike out at you. Seeing how the previous exercise went, I believe you'll be lying on the ground by the time your third coin has dropped." He paused and crossed his arms in front of his wide chest. "Maybe before that."

_Ohhh that arrogant, infuriating, presumptuous man!_

"I guess we'll see, milord," she sneered, no time to respond more elaborately as James threw the coins.

Hailey started with the first motions. Two minutes in, her first coin fell. James kicked her left leg, but he pulled his kick, tapping her leg slightly out from under her.

Stumbling from the kick, she concentrated hard on the coins that had started dropping from the moment of impact, but she caught them just before they hit the ground. Hanging in the air in front of her stomach, she lifted them and continued moving.

A minute later, she stepped on a sloping part of earth and another coin dropped. Mentally prepared for the next hit, she was taken off balance by a light punch to her right shoulder. All the coins dropped again, but again Hailey levitated them back to head height after steadying herself. Feeling her muscles strain as she continued, and two more coins fell.

Good news was it took four coins to drop before Hailey was down. Bad news was she went down.

Seeing–but not quite seeing–James as he fluidly moved past her and shoved her right leg from under her, she heard the clinking sound as the coins dropped to the ground. Barely able to break her fall using her left arm and shoulder, she rolled over onto her back.

Eyes closed, Hailey blew out a deep breath, wondering how a man of his size could move with such grace. Her skin gleamed with sweat and her head felt heavy. Something blocked out the sun, casting a shadow on her face. When she opened her eyes, James' silhouette towered over her.

"It seems my Foresight isn't as accurate as I'd like it to be," he said.

_Wait. What? Is he joking? _

Too tired to respond, she simply closed her eyes again and exhaled.

James quickly changed to his workout gear in his private quarters before heading towards the indoor training hall. While walking, he found his mind wandering to his current assignment–an assignment he hadn't been preoccupied with accordingly due to a technical glitch in one of the highly classified Arrow archives.

He'd spent the past days replacing the servers and transferring the data to a more advanced server with better protection against hackers. Arrow secrets couldn't be allowed to leak out into the world–especially not on the PsyNet or on the Internet. It would make them vulnerable and paint a target on their backs.

James had prioritized his commitment to the tech team over his training sessions with Hailey, but now that the servers were in place and functioning, that was about to change.

When he stepped through the doors of the training hall, he inclined his head towards Sione, who was currently utilizing one of the machines that simulated rowing with a holo-screen.

His gaze scanned the large white hall with floor to ceiling windows on the left side. On the right side of the hall stood different types of work out equipment, as well as a variety of machines that could be used for running and weightlifting. The left side of the hall was covered with training mats for indoor combat classes and was currently used for a yoga class. Several Arrows–a variety of senior staff members as well as teenagers–were going through martial arts routines near the back of the hall, while others were using the machines for their work out.

During his warm-up, James went over the reports on Hailey's progress which were sent to his mental vault by the trainers who'd substituted in his absence. Hailey's training was progressing according to schedule, but he noticed his absence had caused her to skip a training session where her power levels could be observed. He made a mental notification to organize such a session while moving to one of the free training mats to start a series of push-ups. Placing one hand behind his back, he counted the reps while mentally studying the picture attached to Hailey's file, the file Aden had given him.

She wasn't pretty in a way that would appeal to those who appreciated the current fashion standards of slender, long-limbed bodies. No, Hailey wasn't a delicate model but alluring nonetheless with her striking eyes, full lips and long, dark hair. Humans and changelings would find her attractive; their eyes would fall on the curves of her body, the lush caramel hue of her skin and the exotic features of her face.

James had seen the way the male population of the RainFire leopards interacted with the females. He was certain, if in Hailey's vicinity, the changelings would coax her into laughter and seduce her into exchanging skin privileges. Her expressiveness and sharp wits would probably only encourage the ones who'd receive a sneer from her.

He switched hands and continued the exercise while going over Hailey's picture again. Honesty compelled him to admit the image did her little justice. Hailey owned something humans would refer to as charisma, naturally drawing others to her–even other Arrows. James had noticed that his brethren responded to her similarly as to the empaths; wary at first, but protective when discovering her vulnerability. Although in Hailey's case, James wondered if she'd appreciate such protectiveness, since she'd proven herself capable of holding her own.

He finished the last ten reps of the push-ups and walked over to an exercise bar. Boosting his jump with a small amount of Tk, he did three sets of ten pull-ups before fastening a narrow belt containing weights around his hips. Using his Tk again, he jumped up and mentally counted the amount of times he was able to fulfill the exercise until his dorsal muscles and biceps started to strain.

Simultaneously his mind went back to Hailey, and James realized her ability to socialize easily wasn't extended to him. Although it mattered little to him since she was merely an assignment, it did make their working relationship difficult at times and could negatively influence her progress.

As for himself, James didn't feel rejected by the fact that Hailey looked at him as if she wanted to hit him with a blunt object.

He didn't feel, period.

Yet, he wasn't sure if Hailey understood that was the case. The way she communicated with him led him to believe she was waiting for an emotional response; something he could never give–even if he wanted to.

James had never experienced someone defying and questioning his authority; the chain of military command in the Squad was always meticulously followed. He logically understood that as a human civilian, Hailey had more freedom of choice than he or his brethren had ever been granted. But the way her body language would change when he gave her an order was incomprehensible to him. Every time he did so, the air around her seemed to vibrate with electricity, she'd defiantly stick out her chin and verbally duel with him, her irises blazing with intensity. When he'd say something curt in response, it only added fuel to her fire. She'd stand up as tall as possible, shoulders squared and a mild blush on her cheeks, eyes piercing in their intelligence, rapidly snapping back at him and putting him in his place–or at least attempting to do so.

"_You can either speak to me like another human being or keep silent." _

Hailey didn't understand he'd been stripped of his humanity a long time ago, when the Arrow trainers meted out their torture.

James didn't blame them. They had believed they were doing the right thing, and frankly he didn't think there could have been another way to leash his violence.

For the children now? Yes, there was another way. James would be the first in line of many Arrows to kill the ones who'd dare harm their young. They were innocent beings who didn't deserve the cruelty life had often cast upon the Arrows in the past. He, however, had never been innocent.

Noticing a small amount of strain kicking in by the time he reached forty consecutive repetitions, James ended the exercise and moved to another training mat after unfastening the weight belt and placing it back.

In front of the mat stood a rack with several slender, metal bars with small discs on each end. He selected one of the bars and lowered it to the center of the training mat. After selecting his preferred amount of weight on the digital screen, James raised the bar in a deadlift-exercise and thought about his childhood.

Before he had been claimed for the Squad, he remembered being cared for–though it had been the practical care most Psy parents provided the future of their genetic legacies with. But even as a young child there had been violence and darkness in him, marking him for the Squad.

A temper tantrum at age four had made his Tk lash out bad enough that a bolt of lightning had struck one of the transformers near the building where he and his father lived. The entire neighborhood had lost electricity during the power outage.

Although that was hardly the worst thing that could have happened under the circumstances, the fact that he'd been able to influence the weather that much with his Tk at that age had caused the Psy Council to take notice. However, Robert Addison had refused the substantial amount of money the Council had offered for his son and told them he'd be able to profit more when James would be able to work for his company in aviation and space technology.

Unfortunately for his father, Robert had been forced to accept the financial compensation twenty months later. The older James got, the more the violence had made itself known. James recalled that his father had been summoned to speak with the headmaster of his school after he'd gotten into the fourth fight in six months' time. He'd been five.

His father had trained with him in order to gain control, had taught him how to meditate to bring peace to his mind, but that training hadn't sufficed to yank the darkness inside of him in line. The brutal torture of the Squad _had_ accomplished that task; but it had also destroyed the parts that made him human, the parts Hailey channeled so freely. James remembered experiencing emotions in the past, as a boy of six. Still, remembering the rage and recalling the _way _it had felt were two different things.

He gently placed the exercise bar onto the floor and turned off the mechanism that adapted its weight, realizing these exercises did nothing to release his pent-up energy. After placing the bar back in the rack, James left the training hall and, since he was wearing his work out gear, figured he could go for a run in the surrounding forest of the valley.

Setting a hard pace after reaching the tree line, he rushed through the forest, avoiding fallen logs as his mind skated to the time when he last remembered feeling.

Violent anger had battered within the small body of the boy he had once been, the aggression lashing out through his telekinesis. He'd been trapped within the shields of his trainers, strapped down to a table in a cold, dark room after being repeatedly electrocuted for disobeying a direct order. He'd refused that particular order for almost eleven months before the trainers realized it was futile to continue to harm him. The abuse had only intensified the anger, the defiance. The trainers then also realized something else; as long as they wouldn't give James _that_ order, he was willing to follow the training regimen until the point he became the perfect Arrow.

Avoiding a stony slope, James circled left as his breathing finally became heavier. He accelerated his pace, the wind a whip against his face.

The Squad's mental evaluation panel had concluded that the usefulness of his telekinetic and F-abilities–along with the fact that James hadn't broken under the severe discipline–more important than his refusal to act on that single order. There had been a note attached to his records, records he'd been able to hack into soon after specializing in the technical field at age fourteen.

_Trainee is unlikely to break in case of torture and is able to handle extreme physical duress. It is advised, after training, that he be placed in the front line as much as possible for maximum profit of his skill set. Never attempt to order the use of his Tk as mentioned in backlog 27c. If forced, the chances are high he will go rogue. Re-evaluate after five years, put down if the embedding of the dissonance controls proves to be problematic._

After having found an outlet for his telekinesis in Arrow training, as well as the opportunity to gain control–regardless of the hideous ways he'd come to that control–there had been no need to re-evaluate or to 'put him down' as if he were a rabid dog. The anger was pushed away into a dark crevice of his mind, smothered for so long it became as silent as him. The violence was forced under layers of control, until James wasn't the furious, hurt boy anymore, but a Silent young man. And the trainers had never again attempted to force him to utilize his abilities in the one way he would always refuse.

And now, the world was changing, and James was trying to figure out how he could stay Silent while the reports of Arrows experiencing emotions increased. The Honeycomb affected the Net and its inhabitants enough for pure and total Silence to fracture. James had no intention of letting the darkness of old roam free, had no intention of seeking what Aden and Vasic had. He would always remain loyal to his commander and brethren and would fight for the others to have the life he couldn't have–but didn't desire either.

Coming to a sudden halt at the sound of music, James glimpsed Hailey through the heavily forested area. She was sitting in a small clearing bathing in a ray of sunlight, her back against a tree while playing guitar. Her dark hair fell across her shoulders and brushed the sides of her face, a copper glow forming a halo around her head.

She stopped playing for an instant while looking up and tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing her slender neck and the soft line of her jaw. His eyes ran over shape of her lips, observed how she pursed them as she started plucking the strings of her guitar again. Then she started singing.

The rich, husky tones of her voice resonated through the trees, filled the air. She smiled and shook her head when she made a mistake. Then she played the same part of the song again with closed eyes.

The sound of her voice caused his body to shiver, a response he was able to suppress with his years of training, and he knew, he had to leave _now._ The lyrics Hailey had sung echoed through his mind for the rest of his run back to the compound.

"_Undress the dark, eyes see through a heart. Unchain for me what's hidden deeply."_

Hailey would have fought for the small boy he'd been.

James didn't know why, but it was a statement so potent, he didn't argue the illogical mental steps his mind had made to come to that conclusion. But now, there was nothing left to fight for. There was only darkness, trapped behind the heavy walls of Silence.

For unleashing his true nature, unleashing the things Hailey was provoking, could only lead to one thing.

Death.


	6. Chapter 4

4

The next day started with a martial arts class from Zaira. Hailey felt no embarrassment whatsoever for training with a group of eight-to-twelve-year olds. If anything, their surprise and careful enthusiasm made the exercise more fun.

After an hour of intense focus where some of the children had helped to explain to her how to execute some of the movements, she went for a quick shower. She decided to brunch at the picnic table in front of her cabin and took a big bite from the doughnut she'd stashed in her duffel in a sealed container before leaving for the valley. The training sessions made her extremely hungry and she didn't feel guilty even one second for gorging herself in sugary delight to replenish her reserves.

Tapping on her organizer, Hailey searched her music database for a slow rock song. Just after the music started playing, a message popped up in the screen, its sender marked as unknown.

_Training session 14:00. Outdoor training field. Dress accordingly. _

Hailey didn't need to guess who'd send her such a curt, factual message, even if all the Arrows–including the children–seemed a little stiff and distant.

Finishing her doughnut and downing a bottle of fortified water, she typed a quick reply and decided to walk around the compound. After walking past several family units, she nearly bumped into a small boy who ran past her.

"Whoa," she grinned as she lightly rested her hand on top of the boy's head. "You're in a hurry."

Big eyes looked in her direction. "I'm playing hike and seed."

Hailey blinked, then bit her lip to stop herself from laughing when she'd puzzled together what the boy was saying. Going down on her haunches, she said, "Ah, I see. You better hide before they find you." She stroked her hand over his hair. "Do you want to hide together?"

The boy nodded and led Hailey to a verandah of another family unit. Hailey sat down and leaned against the railing as he peeked around the corner.

"Are you like Ivy?" the little boy asked.

Hailey thought about his question for a while and realized he was referring to Ivy Jane Zen, who was mated to an Arrow. "No, I'm not an empath. I'm not Psy."

The boy seemed to ponder over that as he sat down next to Hailey.

"I'm Hailey," she said. "What's your name?"

"Pip," he answered.

Hailey estimated Pip was between four and five years old. She immediately noticed the difference in his behavior from the older children she'd trained with this morning. Pip was fidgeting with his fingers, his feet moving from left to right, the unrest in his motor functions typical for younger children. He was so young Silence probably wasn't embedded deeply enough for him to leash all involuntary emotional responses.

"Who were you hiding from, Pip?" she asked as she watched his hands wring.

Pip looked at her with those big eyes again, and Hailey couldn't help but feel she'd made a faux pas. "No one will get angry with you if you tell the truth," Hailey reassured him. "You won't get punished." She'd been the one to assume he was playing with one of his friends. The look Pip gave her now made her believe otherwise.

Before Pip could answer, a tall, dark haired man with the walk of an assassin stepped around the corner. Hailey scrambled up onto her feet and walked off the verandah with Pip following her lead.

"You're Judd Lauren!" she said in open surprise.

His looks alone were hard to miss, but beside his handsome appearance, Judd and the rest of the infamous Lauren family fascinated the media. Judd had caught the eye of many women after his heroic appearance in San Francisco, where he'd used his Tk to avert missiles aimed at the city. Aside from that, his beautiful cardinal niece was mated to the SnowDancer wolf alpha. Juicy tabloid material, for sure.

Judd ignored Hailey and focused his dark brown eyes on the small boy standing next to her. Pip's head bent down. "You have one minute to get back to your family unit and do your chores. You know what happens if you don't."

Pip's posture slumped even more. Hailey put a hand on his shoulder and angled her body between Judd and Pip, her instincts compelling her to defend the small boy from a man who was as lethal as he was handsome.

"Hey, back off. It was my fault. I thought he was playing a game with friends."

Judd met her eyes with a cold stare. "Then he should have told you."

Hailey's eyes narrowed as she squared her shoulders. "He was about to. And I promised there would be no retribution if he was honest with me."

Judd stared at her for long seconds before looking down at Pip again. "Damn maternal dominants," he muttered under his breath before going on his haunches. Pip walked in his direction and they had a short, quiet conversation after which Pip nodded.

Ruffling the boy's hair, Judd rose and stared at Hailey while Pip left for his family unit after shooting her a quick glance.

Hailey waved Pip goodbye and turned to Judd. Even though his eyes were brown, she felt no fear. No nightmares flashed through her mind.

_Hmm._ _Perhaps because he's adopted by the wolves?_ The thought made her grin internally.

A small frown appeared between Judd's eyebrows as he studied her eyes. "You're not Psy."

"And you don't need to get your eyesight checked," Hailey answered in automatic response. She immediately slapped her hand over her mouth and winced. "I'm sorry. I'm still attempting to filter my responses."

"Attempting and failing," Judd said coolly. "If you're not Psy, what are you doing here?" He started walking and Hailey fell into step next to him.

"I've been granted a traineeship of sorts," she answered, "to gain control over my ability."

"Who's your mentor?" Hailey's answer made Judd's head snap in her direction. "You're a Tk?"

Hailey shrugged. "Kind of. I guess being here will clarify if that's the case."

"There are a _very_ limited number of powerful female Tks in the Net," Judd said as he came to a stop in front of one of the family units and looked inside.

Hailey followed his gaze to the window of the house, and saw Pip clearing up some toys. "Well, doesn't that make me a special snowflake," she muttered in response to Judd's statement, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "I'm not that powerful though. I can levitate furniture and stuff like that, but none of the cool stuff like teleporting." Hailey frowned as the topic of teleportation made a thought shoot through her head. "Wait, aren't you mated to Brenna Kincaid?"

When the SnowDancer lieutenant gave a curt nod, Hailey's eyes widened in awe. "You have to tell her I _loved_ her thesis on FAST!"

Since Judd kept staring at her, Hailey elaborated. "I used to teach at a high school. One of my co-workers showed me an assignment from a student who wrote about the practical employability of it. The idea of teleporting groups of people like that?" She grinned. "Your wolf is a genius."

Judd gave her a once-over. "She'd like you." He glanced at his timepiece. "I have to go to a meeting."

"Oh, I'm sorry for keeping you from your duties."

Judd shook his head. "My brother is the one who usually consults Aden, but with his mate's pregnancy he didn't want to leave the den," Judd said, referring to the SnowDancer's living arrangements. He frowned a little, as if unsure why he'd told her that. "You and Brenna would get along very well," he added quietly before leaving.

"Wait," Hailey called out. When Judd looked over his shoulder, she asked, "What was Pip's punishment?"

A glimmer in dark eyes. "No dessert," Judd answered before turning and walking away.

After her conversation with Judd, Hailey had wandered around the Arrow facility. She'd attempted to make conversation with several Arrows with scattered success before returning to her cabin to change for her training session.

When she'd arrived at the training field, not James, but Nerida–a female Tk–stood waiting for her. Nerida explained the different exercises Hailey had to do in order to assess her control; pushing nails in wood, moving a ball through hoops, writing her name on a digital display with a laser pen and spinning the ball on top of the laser pen.

After finishing the last exercise Hailey took a big gulp from the bottle of water Nerida had handed her.

"You have little difficulties with these exercises," Nerida said, "which means your problems with Tk do not cover the fine mechanics of your telekinesis."

Hailey rubbed her temple. "It does cause a little psychic strain, but I think it's because I'm not used to utilizing my ability this much."

Nerida nodded. "You'll have to make sure you eat and rest enough." She glanced sideways when James walked over in their direction. "She's ready for more advanced exercises in my opinion," Nerida told James without the two of them greeting each other in any form.

Hailey figured they might have done it telepathically, her suspicion confirmed when James and Nerida looked at each other for a short while before James inclined his head.

"I'll take my leave then," Nerida said.

Hailey thanked the female Arrow for her help before turning to James.

"Hi. Have you brought more change to throw at me?" she asked with a daring smile. "Maybe I should sing you a song first, so it'll be worth your spending's."

Not even the flicker of an eyelash from the stone-cold man in front of her.

Suddenly, the plas bottle in her hand burst apart and water sprayed through the cracks. Before the liquid could cover her, Hailey instinctively encased the water, causing a blob to appear in front of her.

"Manipulate it," James said, the order curt.

Hailey's heartbeat rose and she acted on her impulse. Throwing the empty bottle to the side, she pushed the water forward with her mind, straight at James' head. Just as the water would have hit him in his impassive face, it was blocked by an invisible wall. The liquid slammed into it and sprayed tiny droplets over the grass. The rest of the water seeped off the telekinetic shield and fell at James' feet.

His blue eyes sparked at her, and Hailey couldn't help baring her teeth in a feral grin.

James levitated three larger bottles from the side of the field and used his Tk to extract the water, creating a bigger bubble of water to hang in the air between them. He stepped back a few yards. "Once more."

Hailey encased the water, feeling the flow of movement from the liquid and altering the route, forming a helix around herself.

"You've done this before." Although James' expression still betrayed nothing whatsoever, she got the feeling he was surprised.

Hailey parted the helix, creating a gyroscope of water in the air between them. "Yes," she answered through the thumping strain in her mind. She loved swimming, and water was a rather safe tool to explore her telekinetic abilities. Manipulating water was fun but cost a lot of energy.

"You're not using your Tk effectively," James responded.

Hailey rolled her eyes at him, focusing on the water as she let a burst of Tk flow through it, creating thousands of tiny, hovering droplets to glitter in the afternoon sun, rainbow colors reflecting from the liquid.

A brief moment later, she sensed a stronger, more aggressive psychic touch invading hers. Instead of coiling back, she fisted her hands to maintain her control over the water. The small droplets collided into a bigger ball again, and Hailey felt her grip slipping. She released a deep breath and tried to push the water against the power she was sensing–hard and cold and somehow, unmistakably masculine–but she wasn't strong enough.

Gritting her teeth, she released her hold on the liquid and looked at James, who was standing with his arms crossed and booted feet apart, the use of his psychic powers obviously effortless.

Hailey thrust a hand through her hair, messing up her ponytail. "What now?" she asked.

Azure blue eyes slammed into hers. "Now," James said as the water spread through the air, "it's my turn."

_What? Oh!_

The water rushed towards her like a tidal wave, ready to crash into her. Hailey quickly spread her feet, slammed out her hands and stopped the water from reaching her. Small droplets hit her nose, but the largest bulk kept pushing against her Tk, a clear wave forming over her.

"You're using a boost of telekinesis now, which burns a lot of energy. Divide your attention in order to keep the water away and form a shield." James demonstrated by pulling back the water and forming a shield in front of her, then the water slammed against the shield again.

Taking the silent invitation, Hailey gently let her Tk flow into the air in front of her until it was stopped by James' invisible shield. She traced the form and pushed against in order to feel the strength it would require. Then she layered her own shield behind his, the air shimmering in front of her. The water coiled back and swirled around James as she felt his shield drop. Inhaling deeply, she prepared for the wave moving fast in her direction.

It slammed against her shield and Hailey took a step back, bracing herself against the impact. The wave kept pushing against her shield as sweat dripped past her temples.

One minute passed.

Two.

James had walked over in the meantime, standing left from her as he observed her. Hailey's arms and legs started shaking, her breath harsh pants.

She managed to push the liquid to her left when her shield gave in, but it whirled around to her front again and crashed into her.

Yelping when the water gushed over her, she wiped it out of her face and turned to James with a grin. "You don't like losing, do you?" She scrunched her nose while wringing out her wet ponytail.

He didn't reply to her remark but said, "Practice using the shield. It's still weak."

Hailey wrung out the top half of her t-shirt and lifted her head to see James staring at the skin bared at the slopes of her breasts, droplets of water running from her neck to the cleft in between the sumptuous mounds.

_Is he… staring at your boobs?_

Annoyed, Hailey flicked her fingers, causing droplets of water to land on James' cheek. He blinked twice before meeting her gaze, his deep blue eyes darkening.

Her breath caught, her body warmed and she swallowed past the dry sensation in her throat. Sucking in a breath–and suddenly very aware of the wet material from her t-shirt clinging to her skin–Hailey attempted to speak. "If you keep looking at me like that, I might catch frostbite," she murmured huskily, the heat rushing to her cheeks insinuating quite the opposite from her words.

"Good," was James' measured response, "it might help cool down your temper."

His deadpan comment made Hailey laugh. "Very funny." She placed her hands on her hips, a small smile lingering on her lips. "Many men before you have tried, but you're welcome to take a shot." She arched her eyebrow in a silent challenge.

Only when James straightened his stance and stepped back, Hailey noticed how close they'd been standing to each other.

James clasped his hands behind his back as he looked down on her. "I don't play games." His gaze hard and flat, exactly like the first day they'd met, as if he was giving her a demonstration of just how Silent he could be.

Hailey shuddered, and it had nothing to do with the fact that her clothes were wet. "You need to stop doing that."

James kept quiet for several moments and watched her in that uncomfortable, eerie way. "You're experiencing fear."

Hailey bit her lip and traced the uneven surface of the small, jagged scar on her forearm with her fingertips. "I am," she answered before looking up again, "but not because of you. When you stare at me that way, it reminds me of something bad that happened in my past."

James' facial expression remained the same–distant, hard,–but something switched in the azure of his eyes and suddenly, there was a man and not a machine in front of her.

"It hurts you." It wasn't a question and made Hailey wonder what else this tightly controlled and intelligent man saw when he looked at her.

"Yes," she responded truthfully, "but rationally, I know you have no reason to harm me." She shrugged. "It doesn't change it, though. It's not something I can consciously control."

James said nothing when she thanked him for today's session, said nothing when she left… but when Hailey looked over her shoulder as she reached the end of the training field, she saw James standing in the same position, his blue eyes focused on her, and her alone.

Hailey was sitting at the picnic table in front of her cabin the next day, busy writing music. Having only caught a few hours of sleep, she was trying to bring the harmonies in her mind to life but kept failing.

Adding a few notes to a program on her organizer, she played the song from scratch with her guitar and scowled. Her thoughts kept wandering off to the night her powers turned frighteningly explosive, the images flashing in front of her eyes.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think past the dull headache that hadn't gone away since she'd woken that morning.

The rhythmic sound of shoes thumping on grass caught her attention. Glancing up, Hailey noticed a couple of teenagers running in the direction of the training field. Curious to see what was going on, Hailey put her guitar on the table and jumped up to follow the youngsters.

She came to a halt as soon as she processed what she was looking at. And what she saw…Oh yeah, it caught her breath away.

James was sparring with another Arrow and both were bringing their A-game. The field was surrounded by Arrows watching and people kept adding on to the crowd.

James and his sparring partner were moving inhumanly fast, avoiding each other's kicks and hits with pure speed. At times, Hailey could barely make out what was happening, both men a blur.

Hailey's gaze fell on the sweat beading on James' shirtless chest, the area lightly covered with fine, gold-colored hair. His skin gleamed in the sunlight while small shadows danced on the ridged plane of his muscled abdomen with each move.

Even though James was tall and his shoulders were wide, he wasn't brawny. No, he owned a deadly kind of grace, his maneuvers fluid as every move was lashed out with deliberation and focus. He never faltered, never seemed to think twice about what to do. James would never need a gun, Hailey realized. His body _was_ the weapon.

Her mouth went dry at the impressive display of strength and control.

_Yeah, that's all _really _impressive. Maybe it's even more impressive that the man is built like he's cut out of marble. What would it be like to sink your teeth into those abs?! To taste that golden skin and–_

Hailey mentally slapped herself for her _very_ inappropriate thoughts and distracted herself by asking the man next to her–Evan, one of the instructors she'd had the odd training session with, "How long have they been at it?"

Evan kept watching the fight as he answered. "About twenty minutes."

Hailey eyes grew big. "That's absurd. Look how fast they're moving!"

Evan shot her a quick look, tilting his head slightly in her direction as he returned most of his attention back to the fight. "You cannot compare your endurance to theirs. They've trained for it for years. Decades, even."

Arching up an eyebrow, Hailey looked at the two men moving like _liquid. _"Seriously," fascination coloring her voice, "this is insane! Their movements and speed should be impossible." She looked at her conversational partner again. "The other guy is also a Tk, right?" No one could move that quickly and fluidly without a telekinetic ability–not even feline changelings.

Grimacing, Evan spoke when James handed his opponent a blow to the stomach. James' opponent twisted and tried to swipe his leg against James'. "Yes, Dio is a telekinetic as well."

Hailey watched the man with flawless coffee colored skin and short curls avoid a kick to his thigh as he tried–but failed–to hit James' jaw with an uppercut. Hailey pursed her lips as she watched the two men break up after a series of kicks and hits, simply to start over again.

The rhythm in which James moved his body fascinated her. She was hypnotized by the way his muscles tightened and relaxed against his golden skin. Her eyes drank in every inch of him as she watched the tendons of wrists, the veins on his forearms, his sweat-damp hair sticking to his temples, his blue eyes bright and gleaming.

A blush crept up on her cheeks when she noticed her observations were going from factual to emotional again, her body almost humming in response to James' appearance. The more she tried_ not_ to look at him, the more she caught herself staring.

Scowling, Hailey urged herself to focus on the fight again, to learn rather than drool.

Right then, James' foot slid away in the grass, leaving him off balance for a fraction of a second. Every muscle in Hailey's body went taut when Dio took the opening to kick at James' chest.

_Watch out!_

James' eyes met hers for an instant, azure so bright, it crashed into her. She felt something uncurl inside her, a spike slamming inside her mind hard enough to make her gasp.

And everything around her _stopped. _

Silence, like the world was frozen. No birds chirping, no one talking, not even the whispers of the wind in the entire valley.

Hailey looked around, her eyes darting from left to right.

_Why isn't anybody moving? _And why was she _not_ standing still?

Inhaling deeply to think past the deafening silence, she touched Evan's arm. "Hello?" she tried, but he kept staring at the center of the field where James was sparring with the other Arrow. She tugged at the sleeve of his jacket.

Nothing.

Hailey felt the hair on her arms rise and her scalp tingle. Swallowing, she waved her hand in front of the Evan's face.

Still nothing.

_It's happening again! _

Hailey spun to the side and swiveled around, to find all the people on the training field standing perfectly still. Every single one of them seemed to be suspended like flies in amber.

_No, no, no! Not again! _

Panic overwhelmed her, her breath coming in jagged pants. A shimmer of sweat broke out over her skin, her heart slamming inside her chest at the sight of all those people. Stuck. Stock-still.

_Dead._

Her mind whirled and her muscles locked as memories flooded the present.

_Blood gushing down her arm. Shards of glass on the pavement. Brown eyes that loo–_

"Hailey."

The sound of a familiar voice broke through the nightmare in her mind. Jerking, she turned around and saw James looking at her, and for some reason he wasn't frozen in place either.

"What's happening?" she said, her voice hoarse. Her hands trembled as her eyes flashed left and right to all those people standing as still as mannequins.

_Oh God. _

Her heart boomed in her chest, aching as she gulped for air, her lungs painfully strained.

"_Hailey._"

Fear a tight grip around her heart, she whispered, "It's me. I'm doing this," her words were almost lost under the crushing weight of the absolute silence around them. Her stomach churned as she looked at James again. "_I'm_ doing this!" she shouted, her horrified voice piercing the silence, the acrid taste of bile on her tongue. "I'm doing this and I don't know how to stop it!"

James stood in front of her in a flash, his voice demanding her attention. "You need to calm down." His eyes pinned her on the spot.

"I can't!" She felt overwhelmed and could sense tears stinging in her eyes. _It's happening all over again! You're hurting eve–_

"Stop panicking and _focus." _

Hailey felt anger push past the choking fear. "I don't know how!" she snapped as she met his gaze. "I can't control myself from doing this!"

"You can, so breathe and concentrate." Steel in his voice.

Trembling, Hailey closed her eyes and blew out a shaky breath. She repeated inhaling and exhaling a couple of times, but it did little to lessen her anxiety.

"Yes, like that. Breathe and focus on what you want."

James seemed so unaffected by what was happening that Hailey listened to his voice, the dark hum somehow soothing the violent storm inside of her.

_I want this to stop._

A sob left her throat.

_What if you can't change this? You couldn't change what happened before._ _What if they're all stuck like this forever?!_

"Breathe, Hailey. You _can_ control this."

With James' voice as her anchor, Hailey's muscles started to relax and the ice hand around her heart loosened a fraction. She inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. Swallowing, she felt the nausea pass and heard the rustling of leaves from the trees afar.

_Right there. _James' voice resonated through her mind as she blew out another breath. Her fingers uncurled from her tight grip as she inhaled again.

_I want this to stop, _she whispered in her mind._ I want you all to breathe._

She heard a faint stomp and opened her eyes. A round of applause sounded, the murmur of voices around her from the Arrows commenting on the fight.

Relief flooded every cell in her body as Hailey watched the center of the field to see James_–how did he get there that fast?–_had been taken down by his opponent. Dio pulled James up and they exchanged some words as the crowd broke up.

Head heavy and the edges of her vision darkening, Hailey turned away to walk to her cabin. She was trembling, her steps shaky and uncoordinated.

_One foot in front of the other. _

Carefully she kept on walking, her shoulders slumped and her breath coming in harsh pants.

"Not so fast." That familiar deep, dark voice made her fine neck hairs straighten in response. Dizzy, Hailey looked up at James, her movement jerky. "Come," he said as he nodded towards the forest on the edge of the field.

"I'm not sure I'll make it," she whispered as she felt herself sway. James clasped his hand around her arm and pulled her along.

"Hey!" Hailey scowled as she tried to release herself from his firm grip but he wasn't budging. When she tripped, she felt a slight _push_ help her straighten. Scowling at James again, Hailey walked as fast as she could, but was barely able to match his long strides. "Let me go, I'm not a child."

He ignored her as they walked into the forest.

Her mind still foggy, Hailey noticed James was wearing a black t-shirt. _He must have put it on after the sparring session. What a shame. _

Hailey closed her eyes at that thought, still feeling nauseous. She tried to breathe past the heaviness clouding her head and opened her eyes to see James staring at her. "What?" she asked.

His frown was _so _slight, she surely was imagining it.

"Why is it a shame?" he asked, still looking at her as he led her to a small field in the forest.

Blood rushed to her cheeks and her fingertips tingled. Her head was spinning again, though this time it was for a different reason.

_What did he just say?_

Biting her lower lip, Hailey came to the conclusion she must have spoken aloud instead of keeping her improper thought to herself. When she looked up, she noticed they had stopped in the middle of the field. She turned her head to look around, her vision still blurry and her thoughts unfocused. Blinking a few times, she met James' gaze and could tell he was waiting for an answer.

"You know why," she said as she pinched the bridge of her nose, aware that she was probably getting close to turning fire-engine red.

_Damn it Hales, don't go there. You have other things to worry about, like what the hell happened just now!_

James was still watching her, his face expressionless but for his eyes, giving her a puzzled look.

_God, those eyes are gorgeous, even if he is distant, arrogant and presumptuous. _

She frowned and shook her head a little, trying to shake off the mess of thoughts that passed through her brain.

"You are aware I can hear you?" James asked as he tapped his temple with his index finger.

Horror crept through her veins. "Bullshit."

James just looked at her.

"That's impossible!" Hailey exclaimed, aware that her body had gone motionless.

Even though the Psy and the Forgotten both operated on the psychic plane, her telepathy was close to negligible. She knew connecting telepathically was possible between both races, since Dev could connect to his Psy wife, Katya.

Yet Hailey had found she only heard a kind of static noise when trying to send a message to another Psy she knew from work. Her Psy colleague was a Gradient 4.3 telepath and heard only dull echoes in return. It was convenient for her, since she had stronger psychic shields than ordinary humans–which meant she was safer from telepathic invasion, thus protected from discovery by the Psy during the time the Forgotten were hunted.

Hailey figured it was because of her weak telepathy that she'd never been able to send a message to someone else–neither Forgotten, not Psy. The only instance when she'd been able to touch another mind was by use of the ShadowNet.

_It appears you are wrong, _James' dark hum of a voice echoed inside her mind.

Eyes big, Hailey felt the fog in her head disappear at this sobering news. Anxiety rose with the memories of the last invasion of her mind. It wasn't exactly similar to this experience. James wasn't attempting to take anything from her or show her anything, but even though he didn't seem to be using force it was still an intimacy she hadn't given permission for… because the way his voice hummed in her mind _was_ intimate. The fact that something deep inside of her responded to it–that she _liked_ the way he sounded inside her head–only made the whole situation more disconcerting.

She tried to think rationally but could only manage a response that was close to denial. "I'm not a telepath and we're not connected in any way. We shouldn't be able to do this!"

"No, we shouldn't," James agreed. "Just like you shouldn't be able to stop everything around you."

Hailey froze again. Shivers washed over her once more as her hand automatically clasped over the scar on her arm. "No," was all she could manage to say when his eyes flicked to her hand.

What a fucking nightmare. What was she supposed to do now? What if James was able to just step inside and see and hear everything going on inside her mind? _Jesus._ The shit inside there was beyond any horror movie she could recommend. What would he say if he could witness the things she'd done when she'd lost control?

The realization that he might be able to watch her weakest, most horrible moments, that he'd judge her for what she'd done…It trapped her, just like the dreams that haunted her every night. Darkness coiled in her mind, she realized she was stuck in chains made by her own abilities.

Tears stung in Hailey's eyes again. She was at a loss and out of control, desperate for a way out of the constant shadow that lurked over her life. And she was tired. So, _so _tired of being scared for herself and others all the time.

Sniffing, she turned away to thrust her hands in her hair, belatedly processing she was wearing a ponytail. Ripping out the hair tie, she wrapped it around her wrist and her dark hair cascaded in heavy waves down her back.

_Why is this happening to me? And _what_ is happening?!_

_You're scared, _James' voice reflected in the walls of her mind–a cool, strong and inexplicably masculine presence inside her head.

She walked away from him, hoping a bit more distance would end the connection. That hope proved to be false.

_Concentrate and leash your abilities. _Even in psychic communication his tone was annoyingly factual.

_Shut up and get out of my head! _she snapped.

_You need to work it out of your system, _James ordered.

Hailey couldn't cope. It all reminded her too much of _that _night. Everything that was happening to her, everything she was doing, everything James was saying; it was too much.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Head!" she turned around. "Stop telling me I'm fat, stop telling me I'm useless, stop commanding me what to do, just shut up!" Hailey shouted.

_You have to calm down. _

"Which part of 'shut up' do you not understand?! Leave me alone!" Tears streamed over Hailey's cheeks while all the emotions bottled up inside for months poured out. Slumping to her knees, Hailey began to cry in earnest. She bent forward, leaning on one hand as she clasped the other over her mouth. Her violent sobs echoed in the quiet field, her hair falling around her face in a dark curtain.

"Hailey."

"What?!" Hailey screamed. "What do you want?" Lifting her head, she saw James was sitting on his haunches in front of her. "I can't handle you insulting me right now, please… _please,_ leave me alone."

He didn't move, didn't speak, although his azure eyes branded her. Hailey was beyond feeling embarrassed, but she wanted to be alone. She wanted to mourn her old life, mourn all the things she would never have again if she couldn't get a grip on herself. All her pain emanated from that one moment when her nightmare began.

She hadn't cried after everything went to hell. She hadn't cried when she'd given up the things she loved doing most out of fear of harming others. She hadn't cried when the isolation afterwards had threatened to pull her under. But, for some reason, her psyche decided right now was the right time to let the pain go, to fall apart and be vulnerable across from a man who was dangerous and strong enough to fight off every single one of the monsters inside her head.

So she cried, she let go.

For some inexplicable reason James stuck with her throughout, quietly crouched in front of her, the sole audience to her sorrow.

Even though Hailey was finally able to release some of her tension by literally pouring out her emotions, it didn't change the fact she longed for her life to be different.

_I just want to be normal again. _A quiet sob left her throat, her cheeks stained wet by tears.

"You shouldn't," James said. "There is nothing wrong with you. You simply need to gain control."

Hailey laughed without humor, a raw and broken sound. "Nothing wrong with me? Are you kidding me?" She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands and met his gaze.

_Stop feeling sorry for yourself and start changing the outcome. That is, if you truly want to. _James stood up and strode to the far end of the field.

Hailey gritted her teeth and sat up. "Why are you trying to manipulate me?"

"Because you need to redirect your power right now. Stand up."

Hailey followed his command, too tired to argue. When she stood, she tied her hair in a messy bun. "Well, milord," sarcasm coating her every word as she rubbed her hands over her face, "what is it you wish for me to do?"

James folded his arms, his t-shirt stretching taut around his biceps. "Run laps."

Hailey started running.

With every step, she felt her head clear more. She focused on the feeling of the grass under her sneakers, on the feel of the wind sweeping against her damp cheeks, on her regulated breathing. By the end of the second lap, James gestured for her to stop.

Still feeling half broken, Hailey came to a halt, her face grim and hands fisted. She was aware she probably looked hideous, eyes swollen and nose red, but she refused to be ashamed of expressing her feelings, expressing the intense hurt living inside her for months.

This–the hurt, the incidents –was why she was here, why she had to gain control. So she'd better listen to the one person that seemed to know what she had to do to reach that goal. Determination pushed down the fear and hurt, and she tipped her head up to meet his eyes.

"Run again, but use your Tk," he said.

Hailey arched her eyebrow.

"Have you got anything to add?"

She shot him a narrow-eyed look for his seemingly irritated reaction. Great. It appeared they were back to their starting point: despising each other with a vengeance. She considered that for a moment.

_No. That's not true. You don't despise him. _

If she was truly honest with herself, despise was the opposite of how she felt towards James. Though, she wasn't sure if that was also the case the other way around.

"Good to know. Start running."

Cheeks flushing, Hailey mentally groaned for forgetting he could hear her. "I don't know how," she muttered.

She saw a flash in his eyes. "You don't use your Tk at all when you move?"

Hailey shook her head. "No. I rarely use my Tk in my daily life. I have little use for it." It had come in handy once during work, when two six-feet-plus boys had been fighting over a girl, who, to Hailey's laughter and the boys' karma, turned out to already have a girlfriend.

"How did you manage to stay under the radar without any form of training?"

Hailey blinked at the hard edge in James' tone. He'd never asked her anything personal before. "Somewhere in the back of my father's lineage there was a cardinal Tk mated to a human. Both my parents were low-level telekinetics, and they were able to teach me most of the skills I know with use of that cardinal's memoirs and their personal experiences." Too bad those memoirs contained little information about what to do when abilities went amok. "You know it wasn't safe for me to attend Psy schools in order to fine-tune my telekinesis."

She let that information sink in for a moment as two pieces of data slid together in her mind. Tilting her head, she asked James, "In theory, wouldn't _you_ have been sent after me if I'd ever been discovered by the Council?"

He didn't respond to her question but handed her a raspberry flavored nutrition bar he'd taken from one of the pockets of his cargo pants. "It's close to a miracle you've managed to stay alive during Silence. Something tells me you don't blend in very well."

Hailey accepted the food and handed James the wrapper when he held up his hand. She answered while wondering where he'd been able to find the nutrition bar. Raspberry didn't seem like James' preferred flavor.

"It wasn't that difficult. I've always been taught to stay cautious. It's hardly like I have a flashy sign above my head saying I'm Forgotten."

"You do." Azure eyes looked straight at her, stripping her bare. "Your eyes," he murmured.

Hailey shook her head in negative–and in order to shake off the power of his gaze. "It was never this apparent until a few months ago." She returned to their earlier topic to redirect the nightmares pressing against the paper-thin walls she'd managed to pull up. "Aside from that, Devraj helps us protect ourselves as much as possible. Add the fact that I have strong natural shields _and_ that I never lost control over my Tk in public, _et voila_." At least, not until that night in that dark alley.

"I took the nutrition bar out of my backpack before coming up to you," James said in reply to her story, proving exactly how strong her shields were right now.

_Fuck._

She scowled at him for reading her thoughts again and took a big bite from the nutrition bar. After chewing and swallowing, she looked at him from under narrowed eyelids. "Wait. You carry around food for me in your backpack?" Food that didn't comply with his taste buds but _did_ to hers.

_That's kind of sweet. It seems he _can_ be kind and thoughtful… If you forget the fact he's dangerously lethal and your mentor and that he can hear you! What the hell, Hales?!_

Hailey winced a little and met said mentor's flat gaze.

"Yes," James just said, cutting her some slack by not commenting on her _stupid_ thoughts. "You're burning a lot of psychic energy during training." He glanced at his black timepiece. "Since you've been wasting your potential for most of your life, I suggest we continue." His voice was ice.

Hailey shrugged as she popped the last piece of the nutrition bar into her mouth. "Sure, if you say so. Though, I do think it's nice you're implying I have potential, because I have no idea how to do what you're asking." Her nonchalance made James stiffen and she felt a spark of satisfaction for inciting a reaction in him.

"Then the next exercise will be most amusing. Start running."

"You're a Silent Psy," Hailey said as she jogged away, "you don't feel amusement."

Right after she finished her sentence, she felt a _push. _Stumbling, she ran faster, the wind whipping against her face. "Jesus!" she exclaimed as James pushed her again with his Tk. She felt her legs move faster, almost out of her control. "Stop that!" Hailey shouted from the far end of the field.

_You're the teacher. You know kinetic energy is linked to movement. So use your psychic skill of movement to _move _your body faster. _

Hailey tried to feel the way James was pushing her body forward, _feel _the amount of energy it would require and fisted her hands as she came around to James' direction. Using a burst of her Tk, she tried to drive her body to accelerate.

Her strides turned longer, stronger. Every time her feet touched the ground, it was like she bounced off the surface. Her muscles strained under the new pressure she applied. Forgetting the discomfort almost instantly since it was accompanied by freedom, a moment of peacefulness in her chaotic mind, Hailey summoned another burst of power.

She tripped.

Letting out a startled cry, Hailey braced for impact, instinctively slamming out her hands towards the ground. But just as she would have hit the hard surface of the field, she felt James' psychic touch encase her. Instead of falling flat on her face, he caught her mid-air and she levitated inches above the ground.

Heart thundering in her chest, Hailey felt laughter bubble out of her, nerves and relief combined. Using her own Tk, she shoved herself into an upright position. Still floating above the ground, Hailey smiled at James. "I'm okay, you can let go."

She was lowered to the ground until she felt the earth under her sneakers again. When he released her, she jogged towards him. "Thank you for catching me."

James inclined his head. "Once more."

Determination pulsing in her heart, Hailey fisted her hands and was off again.

Heaving heavily, Hailey lay stretched out in the middle of the training field. Every cell in her body felt wrung dry, but it was an oddly good feeling.

James walked towards her and Hailey lifted herself up on her elbows. He sat down across from her, observing her with cool eyes and a neutral expression that kept reminding her of an ancient Greek statue carved from marble.

Hailey frowned. James seemed cold, but he'd stuck with her and helped her when everything had overwhelmed her. Maybe he wasn't charming or nice about it, but he understood what she needed and provided her with the tools to regain control.

"You were provoking me to prevent me from having another episode, weren't you?" Hailey scrunched her nose, her breath still coming a little heavy. "I'm beat and famished but it was helpful. Thank you."

James said nothing, just looked at her.

"I was wondering," Hailey said as she sat up, her legs stretched out in front of her and arms braced behind herself, "what kind of training did you have to do to control your incredible amount of Tk? And don't lie to me; I know you're _really _powerful."

Shadows covered the azure of his eyes. "Different training from yours."

Hailey pulled a face. "No shit. Would stuff like this even work for you?"

James seemed to think about that question, giving Hailey time to run her eyes over him. Mentally snapping herself to attention as she felt her cheeks heat, she reminded herself that he could listen in on her thoughts.

_God, he's right. You really do lack focus. _

Biting her lip at that thought, Hailey's eyes skidded to the targets on the practice field she had used for lap training. The large transparent rectangular displays were off, but when turned on, they could simulate an attacker moving. Using laser guns, the targets could be shot without being damaged. She wondered if she'd ever be able to use a gun. Unlike the man in front of her, she'd never touched any kind of weapon in her life–staring daggers didn't count in her book.

Hailey wondered what it was like for James, to look someone in the eye and consciously end their life between one second and the next. _It must haunt him_, she thought, thinking back to the various times when dark Prussian had covered the bright azure of his irises.

"I don't know." James' voice broke through her thoughts and she looked at him again.

"It's such a shame," Hailey whispered, leaning forward. "&You Arrows were equipped to fail as soon as the regime of Silence collapsed." She arched an eyebrow. "How would any of you been able to live even relatively normal lives if you're used to a life where everything is constantly under control? When the rest of the world is so different from all you know?" The fall of Silence was already such a shock to the Psy's common population. How much harder must it be for the ones who'd had been appointed to maintain said Silence?

Hailey shook her head, causing small tendrils of hair to brush against her temples and cheeks, answering her own question. "You would have either had to isolate yourselves entirely or end up used as some death squad for people like the former Council members. I don't know how you all could have done it if Aden hadn't taken charge." In the past few days Hailey had learned that Aden had made great changes in the Squad, especially regarding the well being of the children and retirement for the older Arrows.

She untied her hair and ran her hand through the long, dark mass. James looked at her and Hailey heard an echo somewhere in the back of her mind, a sound that was just out of reach.

She frowned. _You're not a bad person. You're just rude on purpose half of the time. _James' eyes narrowed a fraction, to her self-satisfied smirk. "You can't hear me anymore."

James kept looking at her with that intense gaze, making her feel a little uncomfortable. It was like he was taking in every small detail of her, probably to comment on it down the road. And still, it caused her breath to catch and her body to warm.

_Stop it, Hales!_

"No," he said after several moments during which that damned flush had crept up over Hailey's skin again, "it appears you're not broadcasting anymore."

Something eased inside her, but the relief at the faded connection between them also left an odd vacuum. Instead of following that thread–which was bound to be an elaborate recipe for disaster–Hailey responded to his words. "What, like I was on your frequency for a while but I'm not anymore?" She shook her head. "I still don't know how that happened." Her voice turned quiet. "And I don't know how I froze everything around me." Everything and everyone… except for the man sitting across from her.

_And what exactly does that say about you, Hailey Logan? _an irritating voice in her mind taunted. She thought about that and could only find one answer. He'd been in danger of getting hurt and she'd _wanted_ to help him, to stop James from getting his chest crushed by the power that had been in Dio's kick.

Her heart skipped a beat when she met eyes of gorgeous hues that were only found in tropical waters.

"If it does happen again, don't panic. It will only escalate, judging by the events that took place today."

James' tone was so matter-of-fact, it made Hailey sputter out a laugh. "You're saying that as if I can choose when I get scared and when I don't." Hailey arched an eyebrow at him. "I already told you: it doesn't work like that. I can't help being frightened." Her smile faded. "I don't want to be scared of myself, of my abilities."

James kept looking at her with such intensity, as if there was nothing more important in this moment than her. Hailey hushed the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach and attempted to calm down her spiking heartbeat.

"Then you need to gain control, so you can stop yourself," he finally said as he broke the eye contact and looked towards the trees on his right.

Hailey wanted to argue with him and wished it was all that simple. She could only hope for the best and prepare for the worst. She'd better prepare the hell out of herself.


	7. Chapter 5

5

The sky was turning a deep orange as the sun lowered behind the mountains. James stood on a cliff with his back to the buildings in the valley, his hands loosely clasped behind his back, watching the black silhouettes of flying birds contrast with the tangerine colored sky.

He turned a quarter to his left. "Sir. I came to give you a report about Miss Logan's progress."

Aden looked out over the valley. "Proceed."

James observed the leader of his choice; a man who'd leave no one behind and would fight for each of the Arrows; from the smallest child to the most honed assassin. No matter what race, ability or gender, Aden would always have their backs. He inspired trust and loyalty by being himself. James could not think of a better person to lead the Squad into their new lives.

"So far, Miss Logan has had a minor incident in which the erratic parts of her abilities have emerged. She was able to cease her abilities from escalating beyond the initial outburst, but it seems emotions are the source of her difficulties controlling her power."

He paused for a moment and thought about Hailey's extreme emotional responses. James knew that 'minor incident' wasn't the proper description for the events that took place today, but he wasn't sure if Hailey would be able to stay at the Arrow facility if Aden knew that. And even though James would lay his life down for any of his brethren, he also knew that Hailey needed guidance.

_Contrary to Aden's beliefs, you may not be the right person for this assignment. _

The thought made his fists clench. No, he probably wasn't the right person to train her. But for now he didn't want anyone else to shield her and oversee her training. Not when she was starting to trust him.

_And that's exactly why you should keep your distance_, the rational voice in his mind argued.

James discarded that thought immediately. He would simply need to strengthen his shields to avert the forming of an emotional connection. He'd mentored many young Arrows under diverse circumstances, none of which had provided difficulties.

_But Hailey isn't a soldier _or_ a teenager. Not even close._

He shut down the illogical observation and continued speaking. "I believe a surge of adrenaline in combination with negative emotions is the main trigger. It could prove to be problematic." He mentally summarized the most important data from Hailey's file. _Minor telekinetic abilities. Physical altercation. Telekinetic abilities burst out of control during the incident. Second incident with minor damage. Is living in almost complete isolation._

The past training sessions made one thing very clear: Hailey's Tk was _powerful_. It indicated that either she didn't know or that she and Santos had lied. Since Santos needed the Squad's corporation to help him with other cases of Forgotten members with emerging abilities, and given the fact that Hailey was one of the most brutally direct and honest people he'd ever encountered, James didn't think the latter was true. Hailey's control regarding smaller objects was excellent, even in comparison to those who'd had proper training, but…

"How has she been able to stay under the radar so far without any form of training?" Seeing that she was one of the most emotion-drenched people he'd ever observed, she must have experienced pain, sadness and anger before. Those feelings should have caused her Tk to go haywire far earlier in her life, yet she'd told him that hadn't been the case.

Aden looked at James, his dark, slanted eyes observing every small detail. "Santos is unsure. He's mentioned some of the Forgotten's abilities only emerge when they are in need of it–an instinctive survival response. Apparently, the threat to Miss Logan during her incident was sufficient for her telekinesis to snap into place somehow; in the past, she'd never had any difficulties controlling her powers."

While that theory sounded viable, James was unsure whether that was actually the case. Hailey was able to manipulate water in a way that belied her difficulties controlling the–so to speak–gross motor skills of her Tk. Although there were Tks who were able to take blood out of carpets and work on almost a molecular level, the majority of high Gradient telekinetics unconsciously utilized their ability to the point where it made their motions fluid, graceful, deadly. Hailey didn't move that way but James saw the promise of it during their sessions together, as if she needed the right mind-set to let the telekinesis flow through her body in the most efficient way. Her reaction time was slower than in other Tks her age, but regarding her lack of training and the fact that she was a civilian that was hardly surprising.

James now considered if perhaps Hailey's parents had tried to suppress and hide the force of her powers in order for her to remain safe during Silence. Even if that were the case, it still didn't add up with what he'd witnessed today.

Aden returned to their earlier topic. "You believe she'd benefit from emotional conditioning?"

James considered that. "I do, but the point is moot. I don't believe there is the slightest possibility Miss Logan could stop every emotional response–positive or negative–even if she'd go through intense reconditioning."

James remembered her bright smile, the light and life sparkling in her jade and gold-flecked eyes. He also recalled her pain and how her echoing sobs felt abrasive against his senses, the memory of tears streaking her face causing a tightness in his chest.

_Yes, you really need to repair the cracks the interactions with her have caused._

Aden's voice broke through James' memories. "Does her stay here pose any risk at the moment?"

"No more than some of our young. She seems to benefit from the training schedule." Not entirely a lie, regarding her Tk. Not entirely truthful either, regarding everything else he had observed so far.

James wondered what the hell he was doing as he focused on repairing his shields on the psychic plane while carrying on his conversation with Aden. "It will take longer than my original estimation of four weeks to teach her the basics; eight to twelve weeks, perhaps." The thought of frequently being in her presence for at least two more months made something sting inside his chest. James could sense the dissonance tightening around his mind on the heels of his response.

Aden nodded as he watched the game of soccer taking place between several teenagers on the field below the cliff. James turned so he could watch the children play as well.

"What about you?" his commander asked.

James straightened his stance and ignored the throbbing sensation inside his skull. He'd lived through far worse. "The new servers are all in place and functioning. There hasn't been a security breach, we found the malfunctioning devices just in time; one of the circuit boards was fried. As for the past missions, they have been without difficulties; the covert team has been highly effective with the minimum number of casualties."

Aden didn't respond immediately but studied him again for a moment. "I know they have. That's not what I'm asking."

James understood what Aden meant. Aden wasn't the leader of the Squad just because he was a power. He cared for his Arrows beyond their ability to function as soldiers. "I feel no distress. You know the reason for my decision to remain Silent. I stand by my choice." He had to.

Aden kept quiet for a while as he continued watching the children play. "There are others like you who've broken Silence. There are other ways."

James would _always_ follow Aden's lead, would go through hell and back again if his commander deemed it necessary, but on this subject he remained inexorable. "Not for me." Not even if there was someone with compelling eyes of jade and gold who made things uncurl in his chest and saw him as a person, a man, instead of a useful tool.

They kept watching the game as the children laughed when the ball flew through one of the goals.

Aden tilted his head slightly. "We've just had another incident." He shot James a look. "Are you certain you'll be able to go on another mission considering your obligations towards Miss Logan?"

"Yes," he answered immediately. "I'll summon the team."

"I'll send you the coordinates."

And under cover of dusk, James left the valley to fulfill his purpose.


	8. Chapter 6

6

Fortunately, the mission had only taken a couple of hours to accomplish, after which James returned to the valley. He went looking for Hailey the following morning. He'd requested Nerida to take over the 8 AM training session so he could catch a couple hours of sleep before resuming his duties.

Hailey was sitting on a bench facing the playground as she swung her hand back and forth. He watched the swing–and the small boy sitting on the swing–rock in the same gentle rhythm as her motion, Hailey using her Tk to give the child a boost. Abbot's empath, Jaya, was at the playground as well, walking around and talking to the children.

When James reached Hailey, her head snapped up, a wary expression on her face as her hand lowered. "Did you come to kick my ass in an extra training session?"

He shook his head in negative and handed her the datapad he'd brought along. She glanced at it before looking at him again from under her eyelashes.

Noticing her apprehension, he answered her unasked question. "It's a report on your progress for Santos. I figured you'd want to read it." It was about her, after all.

She nodded and took the device while sliding a little to the right side of the bench. James didn't take the unspoken invitation but clasped his hands behind his back and watched the smallest Arrows play in the bright sun, their laughter and voices filling the air. Jaya clapped for a small boy when he kicked a football to his friend, a radiant smile on the E's face. A moment later, Abbot appeared next to his wife and cupped her cheek. When one of the children asked Abbot a question, the young Tk nodded and kicked the ball.

It hadn't been like this a year ago. The children hadn't known how to play, had looked at the adults for constant confirmation, scared of doing something wrong, something that would incite punishment.

James' hand tightened on his wrist.

"Miss Logan is making 'minor' progress and will require more than the full extent of her agreed training period to improve her control?" Hailey's irritated voice snapped him out of the memories of pain, of torture. She glanced up again and only then James realized, from her seated position, it must be uncomfortable to look up at him. He sat down on the bench, as far away from her as possible, aware of her eyes still on him.

"Yes. After assessing your progress with various trainers, we all agreed you need more time. You still have much to learn." Though, Nerida, Zaira, Evan and a couple of others hadn't necessarily argued that Hailey needed to stay in the valley. Then again, they hadn't witnessed the erratic parts of her ability.

Hailey let out a small laugh as she ran her eyes over him. "So do you," she said before returning her attention to the datapad.

As Hailey continued reading the report–frowning at several instances and tapping her fingers on her lips while reading–James watched Abbot and Jaya. He couldn't help but notice how different Jaya was from Hailey. Even though they both bore the exotic features and complexion that spoke of the Asian continent, Jaya was tall and slender where Hailey was short and voluptuous. Jaya had a kind gentleness that James had often seen in empaths. Hailey was far more outspoken, battle-ready and couldn't stop herself from quipping even if her life depended on it. And even though Abbot's E was an attractive, graceful woman, James felt... nothing.

He looked to his right where Hailey's eyebrows rose as she read something, her lips curving, and he immediately noticed his pulse rising.

This was bad. Very, very bad.

Abbot's telepathic comment made it even worse.

_The way you were staring at my wife almost made me ring your head with a telekinetic blow... if not for the fact that I now see which of the two women actually holds your interest._

James looked up at Abbot, whose sea blue eyes were shimmering in quiet amusement.

_The interest is solely professional_, James answered.

Abbot raised his eyebrow but didn't comment otherwise and turned to his E when Jaya spoke to him.

James glanced at Hailey, who was still focused on reading the report. After another minute she nodded. "Okay, I guess this is fine." She turned towards him, a questioning look in her eyes. "May I add two messages so Dev can forward them to my father and one of my friends?"

His response was interrupted when a girl ran towards Hailey. Not missing a beat, Hailey shoved the datapad in his hands and opened her arms to catch Carolina from her seated position. The small girl tipped up her head and tugged on Hailey's braid.

"Hailey, will you play with us?"

A warm smile from the woman next to him. "Of course, Caro." Her voice was soft, soothing… and nearly felt like a tactile caress.

James' shoulders stiffened.

"I'll be finished in five minutes, okay?" Hailey said.

Caro glanced at James and gave him a bright smile. "You too?"

James knew why Carolina wanted him to join; the children would often coax the adult Tks in using their abilities for aerial acrobatics. "Not today," he answered; he still had to assess the state of one of the solar-powered generators and check up on a case he'd been working on.

Caro's smile faded.

Hailey softly pinched Caro's nose and whispered something in the small girl's ear, receiving a beaming grin. Caro nodded and waved James goodbye before running off to her friends.

Hailey scowled at him. "You shouldn't hurt her feelings like that. It would mean so much to her, even if you'd only join them for a few minutes."

James gave her a hard glare. "I don't have to answer myself to you." And he didn't like the way her disapproval made his chest tighten.

Her eyes turned entirely jade, glacial in their soft, pale green color. "Fine." She tugged the datapad from his hands and agitatedly started typing, adding two short messages to his report. The tense silence between them carried a wrongness to it he couldn't explain.

Turning the datapad to him, she asked, "Does this carry your approval, milord?" When he took hold of the device she didn't wait but stood up and walked over to Carolina and her small friends.

"Hailey." He was standing two feet away from her before he'd been conscious of moving off the bench. Hailey turned around, her arms crossed in front of her chest, her breasts pushed upwards underneath the soft fabric of her pine-colored jumpsuit.

He didn't understand why he'd called her name, why there was a sudden urge to settle the tension between them.

Hailey's head tipped slightly to the right as she watched him, small strands of hair moving off her face in the light breeze. "They like you." Her words were soft, her eyes darkening. "Why don't you let them?"

Because being in his presence too much would corrupt them. "I have work to do."

She shook her head and shrugged. "Okay." Her tone left no room for suggestion; she didn't believe a single word he'd said.

Hailey turned her head when her name was called by one of the children and she stopped a ball that was thrown at her with her Tk. She shot him one more look. "I'll see you for our afternoon session."

He inclined his head and watched the ball land softly on the grass before Hailey kicked it towards Caro. Turning around, he went to retrieve the datapad he'd left on the bench and read the messages Hailey had typed, while walking towards Abbot to request a teleport to Central Command.

_Hi dad,_

_I'm doing fine, my journey has been... interesting so far. You take care, I look forward to seeing you after I've returned to NYC. Love you lots!_

_Hales_

_Shane, don't you fucking dare to use my apartment for house parties! I still vividly remember what happened last time I keyed you in. Be good and don't seduce too many girls while I'm away... I'd hate to miss them flipping you off. Give Morgan a big kiss from me. Miss you guys! _

_Witch_

Four hours later, James pushed back his chair from his desk in Central Command, after sending through the report of his latest effort hacking into a terrorist cell in central Africa.

He'd been keeping tabs on the group for almost a year after they'd caught his attention while he'd been browsing through the DarkWeb in search of any leads on the Consortium. James had been able to cut off the terrorists' financial resources after an attack on a small city with a high population of Psy. A greater number of the Psy living there were employees of a highly profitable power plant inside the city, using cutting-edge technology to develop energy storage units.

Even with their funding interrupted, the cell had managed to prepare for another attack during the past two months. It had taken considerable effort to find the individual backing them. At first, the strike seemed directed at those of the Psy race, but further investigation led to a different conclusion. It turned out the mind behind the attacks was a human sheik who lived in Damascus. His nephew was poised to climb high in the power structure of the organization of the plant after its director mysteriously had vanished–which most likely meant the man was dead.

Power, all too often, was the reason for many too terrible acts, and there were always too many innocents caught in the crossfire.

Even though James had worked on the case for months with the extreme focus that was trademark for Arrows, today, he'd caught his thoughts wandering to a small dark-haired female. A woman whose voice made the hairs on his arm rise and who looked at him with curiosity and defiance that was in direct conflict with most humans' basic survival instincts when coming into contact with an Arrow.

James wondered what Hailey saw when she stared at him with those jade and gold-flecked eyes that were too observant, too piercing.

Surprisingly, it hadn't been the moments when the dark aggression inside of him made itself known by slipping though his shields that caused Hailey's body to stiffen and touch the scar on her arm. No, it happened only when he strengthened those marred internal shields, when his mind went back to that cold and habitually controlled stage. She'd been honest about that, had asked him to stop... and once he'd understood it hurt her, it had ignited the violent shadows inside of him.

_No one_ was allowed to hurt her. The fact that someone had done so badly enough for Hailey to shiver and step back when he tried to shield himself was unacceptable. James had seen the same response in the Arrow children, even though more than a year had passed since the Squad started following the new way Aden had set out.

He wondered if Hailey's scar was connected to what had happened to her, that it had not only been psychological pain but also physical pain she'd experienced. The thought made something stir deeply inside his mind. Innocents were never to be harmed. It was a vow he'd made to himself right after he'd realized the ways in which Ming LeBon had used the Squad.

The conversation with Hailey after her lap-running session made him wonder now if the torturous Arrow regime of old had been necessary, if there in fact _had_ been another way for the trainers to leash his Tk, similar to the way he was teaching Hailey.

It also made him wonder what exactly had happened the night when Hailey's abilities had burst out of control. Her file was unclear about that part and she hadn't told him yet. James had considered asking her but decided against it until she trusted him enough to take the first step.

Perhaps, she needed to feel in control before she could face the thing that made her scared. He could do that, he realized, he could help Hailey gain control so she could face her demons.

James glanced at his timepiece–to see it was almost time for their next session–and cleared up his workspace before requesting a teleport to the valley.

Twenty minutes into their afternoon training session, James threw Hailey a bottle containing an energy drink she caught effortlessly with her Tk before levitating it towards her hand.

"I'm not entering in another wet T-shirt contest," she said with a scowl while unscrewing the lid of the bottle and drinking.

The memory of her wet shirt pasted to the curves of her body was as unwelcome as it was familiar. "I have no intention of making you wet today." And for some reason, he added, "Perhaps tomorrow."

Hailey spat out her drink, coughing and laughing simultaneously. She threw her head back and covered her mouth with one hand while the sound of her laughter wrapped around him. Every time it seemed like she was about to stop, another fit of laughter escaped her throat. It took almost a full minute before she had recovered enough to speak again.

In the meantime, James had considered why she'd believe his comment to be funny, only to realize after twenty-six seconds of laughter, that for non-Silent members of the population, his comment could have been interpreted as sexually suggestive. He had no intention whatsoever of acknowledging his awareness of that fact; Hailey would most likely see it as an opening to verbally throw him off guard.

Wiping away tears from the corners of her almond-shaped eyes, Hailey stood up straight again. "Be careful now, or I'll start to think you're making me laugh on purpose." A small smile followed that statement.

"Your laughter vibrates through the air," he found himself saying. Since most Tks James knew weren't in touch with their emotional expressive side–not to the extent Hailey was–he'd never experienced anything like it.

Her lips twitched, sparks of gold jolting in in her irises. "I never took you for a poet, but you have a nice way with words."

He shook his head. "No, your emotions combined with your telekinetic abilities _literally _cause the air around you to vibrate." It was an odd sensation, to feel her joy lapping against his skin, to experience the sensation of her happiness from the outside, bleeding through to the inside.

Since that last observation was not to be permitted in any shape or form for him, James threw up heavy layers of shielding around his inner walls on the PsyNet while big, dark eyes stared at him.

"I thought only empaths were able to do something like that."

"It doesn't work the same way." He tried to find the proper way to describe it to her. "Your Tk slips slightly, and the energy affects the air around you. You don't influence emotions; you radiate the effects of them, in a sense."

He'd have to ask Judd if that was the case for every Tk, since the SnowDancer lieutenant was the only other telekinetic James knew to be more openly expressive; he'd heard Judd laugh softly before.

Hailey snorted in laughter, then quickly slapped a hand over her mouth while wincing. "I'm sorry. It must be uncomfortable for you."

It was. In the most concerning sense.

She shot him a rueful smile. "I was just thinking about what that energy does when you're annoying me."

He thought about that and realized he had the answer to her question. "The mechanics work the same. The only difference is the way it feels." Sharp, stinging, vibrantly buzzing.

"You're kidding me." Her straight, white teeth sank into her full lower lip. "Does that mean when I'm experiencing emotions, it can hurt other people?"

He shook his head. "Not hurt in a debilitating way." It felt more like a slap against his senses. "I'm guessing not without deliberation on your end."

"Well," she muttered, dark eyebrows drawn together, "then I'll be able to rip you to shreds with my words when you piss me off again."

"You'd be unconscious before you'd have finished your sentence."

It wasn't a threat. Self-perseverance was one of the first things taught to Arrows. Only James wondered now if he'd be able to do it, to knock her out with a telekinetic blow or a physical punch if Hailey would ever prove to be a serious threat. She was small, untrained. He'd be able to move against her in a heartbeat, snap her neck without shedding a single drop of sweat.

Yet regardless of her threats to kill him on a regular basis during training sessions, Hailey fell under the category of innocents he'd vowed to protect. Aside from that, something deep within his core rejected the idea of harming her. James didn't know why, but the darkness inside him was persistent on the fact that she needed his protection.

Hailey laughed and the sound washed over him, his breath catching at the sensation. "You're terrible! The worst thing is that I know you're not lying!" A wide grin creased her cheeks. "Lord Addison, you need not worry." She placed a hand over her heart, her face solemn, but for her jade-sparkling eyes. "I promise I'll only use my power for good. Even on you."

It wasn't a surprise that Hailey saw at least part of the danger that was the deadly threat inside of him. Even though she liked to taunt him regularly, there was nothing wrong with her observational skills or intelligence. It still didn't clarify _why_ she challenged him so often, why she'd needle him by calling him ridiculous names for which he'd discipline any other recruit with more laps or extensive exercises. The fact that he was unwilling to do so with Hailey said more about the effect she had on him than James liked to admit.

_Too close,_ a voice in his mind whispered as he recalled Abbot's words. _You're getting too close._

He barely noticed Hailey moving towards him, her fingers only just brushing his jaw when she reached out. He caught her wrist in an iron-tight grip before she could touch him further.

Hailey jerked and he released her. "I'm sorry, I just..." Her eyes were focused on his jaw, a worried expression on her face, the worry reverberating in her voice. "Is that blood?"

The dissonance, James realized after having ignored the spikes in his mind since the beginning of the training session, was doing damage. He only now consciously registered the feeling of blood trickling out of his ear, down to his jaw.

"Are you alright?" Again, that tone filled with concern. "Wait," Hailey said as she ran towards her backpack to retrieve something. It was only when she came back that he noticed she was holding a tissue… and that she'd used her Tk naturally in motion without faltering or stumbling once.

Before he could respond that it was nothing, that he'd been bloodied and battered far worse than this small hurt, Hailey moved towards him, rising on tiptoe, bracing her left hand on his shoulder and moving her other hand to dab away the blood with the tissue. The physical contact instantly caused the dissonance to lash out again, but James was unable to move. Not with Hailey's soft fingers nudging his head to the side while checking if she'd wiped away all the blood. Not when she was caring for him when she had no other reason to do so but out of concern for his wellbeing.

She leaned in even closer, her fingers softly palpating his skin, the invisible warmth of her breath caressing his neck while several smaller strands of hair that had escaped her braid brushed against his chin. The soft, slightly sweet scent of her made his abdomen tighten.

Another backlash of pain caused black spots in his vision. His jaw clenched and Hailey went motionless for an instant. Then a mild blush flushed her cheeks, her dark eyelashes slowly lowering over her eyes before she stepped away, fisting the bloody tissue in her hand.

Forcing his body into gear, James held out his hand. After hesitating a moment, Hailey placed the tissue in his hand, her movements careful in order for their fingers not to touch. It validated his belief that Hailey had acted on selfless impulse; the use of physical contact was natural to her, no underlying motives other than to help him.

Their eyes locked, and somewhere in the back of his mind James had the disconcerting feeling that Hailey once again saw things she shouldn't, just like this morning at the playground.

That should have been enough to distance himself in every possible way from her.

But when her eyes turned fully gold, the rich color almost radiant, it was like he was trapped in place, unable to do anything, look at anything other than her. Hailey's blush turned a deep pink as her full lips parted slightly.

James almost moved to cover the small distance between them, almost reached out with his hand to feel the softness of her flushed skin.

Almost.

Then another burning spear stabbed through his brains.

_No. Stop._

"You should see a doctor," Hailey said, her eyes focusing on the side of his face again, gold slowly fading to warm brown.

James didn't reply to her remark, didn't underline her concern. To do so would give too much away to this perceptive woman. "Let's continue the training session," he said instead.

Her eyebrows knitted together as she folded her arms in front of her chest. "Are you sure you shouldn't go–"

"Start running," James interrupted before she could see the blood he felt welling up in his ear canal but was held back with a small amount of his Tk.

Hailey made a disgruntled noise and rolled her eyes, yet didn't argue otherwise and began running laps. Only when James was certain she wasn't watching, he dabbed away the rest of the blood before stuffing the scarlet-stained tissue in the pocket of his cargo pants.

After their training session–during which Hailey had shot him at least five narrow-eyed glances–he immediately left for his private quarters.

_Perhaps,_ the analytical part of his mind considered, _the effects of the dissonance are inevitable due to the influence of the empaths in the Net_.

Of course the empathic framework would be able to enhance smaller fractures of Silence. It hadn't escaped James' notice that, after the empaths had linked all Psy in the Net together with their intricate net of gold threads, emotional responses of Psy had grown exponentially. It was probably the reason why so many of his brethren had reported the changes they experienced two months after the honeycomb came into place. Since Silence had proven to be unhealthy for the PsyNet, James considered now if a small, _small_, extremely limited amount of emotions would be critical for his own survival.

That night, after weighing up the pros and cons for nearly three hours, James made a decision out of self-preservation. The way the world was currently changing meant he was forced to interact with people like Hailey–changelings, humans and even Psy that were more inclined to embrace emotions. He had no illusions of standing above that change; to withstand the current was to die in the process. If he wouldn't change something about his present circumstances, the interaction with others would cause his brain to constantly cripple him. It wouldn't take long before the dissonance would do permanent damage.

He would be of no use to the Squad if brain damaged or dead.

Arrows were taught to adapt to survive. The dissonance was _one_ way to leash the violent darkness within, but James trusted in his training. Even without the dissonance tripwires the Silent regiment could be followed.

He'd always been one of the fastest to catch on, one of the most disciplined amongst his brethren _because_ of that darkness inside. He could learn how to deal with this, too.

The next morning he went to the infirmary and requested the M-Psy on duty to take away the first two layers of dissonance controls.


	9. Chapter 7

7

Could it be, Ivy? My Abbot could have been mistaken.

I truly hope he didn't. Let's wait and see.

Conversation between Jaya and Ivy

In the week following, James and she resumed doing the same exercises, three times a day. Sometimes James gave her instructions to a new exercise for variety, but they mostly stuck to running and martial arts. James was quiet and curt. All the emotions Hailey thought he'd shown during her lap-running training had simply vanished the next day. Hailey kept trying to provoke him, but she got little response.

She continued practicing the martial arts routine with Zaira and a few other Arrow instructors when James couldn't train with her because he was otherwise occupied. By now, Hailey had learned that martial arts didn't do anything to make her 'zen', though her movements were getting more fluid due to the use of her Tk. Her muscles were strengthening and the aches were less every day, but still she felt like she wasn't even close to reaching the maximum of her abilities. By the end of the week, she still couldn't keep all the coins in the air while going through her routine or run three laps at full tilt without tripping.

Her mind crept to the training session of yesterday evening. Silence and twilight had fallen over the valley, deep shades of purple and blue coloring the sky. The smaller children were already asleep after being read a bedtime story by one of the adults, while some of the teenagers were hanging around the facility.

Hailey had asked James to run laps together so she could observe his movements.

There was a distinguished grace to the way telekinetics moved, a precise and lethal edge to their motions, something she had become aware of during her stay at the valley. Only Hailey had noticed her movements weren't the same. Where her control over smaller objects seemed to be fine, the control over her gross motor skills while channeling her Tk was downright poor.

_A cool glance that made her lips twitch. "Don't be scared. I'll keep my pace slow so you can keep up," she needled James while unscrewing the lid of the bottle of water he'd thrown her. After gulping down half the water and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she placed the bottle on the grass and tipped her head to the side. "Humans like to run together," she said, attempting to coax him. _

"_I'm not human," was the measured response James gave her. And somehow, it felt like that statement had another layer underneath it, one Hailey couldn't grasp but filled her with sadness for the distant man in front of her. _

_She shook off the odd sensation and shrugged. "Suit yourself, but as of now, you're not allowed to say I'm unwilling to learn anymore." With that said, she jogged away and gradually accelerated her pace. The early evening air was chilly, and Hailey tugged down the sleeves of her sweatshirt while running. _

_After thirty seconds, a shadow moved from behind her. Even with the light slowly fading from the sky, Hailey felt no fear. Because it was James, and he would never harm her. He'd be harsh and argue with her, but he would never hurt her. She'd seen it when he'd caught her with his Tk, had felt the protective core in his psychic touch._

_It should have been concerning that she trusted him blindly. After all, he was dangerous. He was the personification of the soldier, the assassin the Arrows were thought to be. He must have heard the screams and seen the blood of others. He must have killed. _

_And still, Hailey felt safe with him, the man who could break her spine without blinking, without lifting a finger. For it was the danger, the threat in him that gave her peace… which was also pretty messed up._

_Focusing on her regulated breathing, she kept her face straight. "What made you change your mind?" The question came from the inquisitive part of her nature, the part of her that wanted, needed to see more of him. _

"_Your determination," was the unexpected answer from the quiet, intelligent man next to her. _

_Hailey watched him while they ran together. Their breaths filled the quiet, the sound of their footsteps on the grass creating a soft rhythm. _

_She decided to act on her intuition and asked the next question quietly. "May I?" It was the politest way she'd ever interacted with him. _

_He didn't answer for a full minute before their eyes locked. James gave her a small nod, his jaw a hard line. _

_Carefully reaching out with her Tk, Hailey encased James, felt his movements through her ability. She closed her eyes for a moment as she took in the experience, the way his muscles flowed underneath her psychic touch. She traced the movements of his body, tried to match it to her own as she–_

_Gasping, Hailey felt James wrench her to the side, when she would have run into a tree. _

_Heat covering her cheeks, she inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her heart in her throat. "I was focused on you." _

_James gave her a few moments to recover and released her arm. "Once more," he said, and together, they ran._

Experiencing James' movements under her psychic touch had felt intimate, comparable to her psychic presence rubbing up to him like an affectionate cat. He hadn't said anything about it, his psychic touch cool and 'tasting' of him when he'd corrected her movements, but the way the tendons on his neck had stood out had spoken volumes.

And even though she'd tried to let her body flow into the movements he'd shown her, Hailey had only been able to keep it up for one lap before psychic strain had kicked in.

Frustrated that her control was only moderately improving even though she was struggling to do the best she could, Hailey tried putting all her effort into her acting course. Only that didn't go too well either; the student number had dropped to eight. The second day, Robin didn't show up. Yesterday, two others stayed away. And today, she'd noticed Joyce wasn't in class either.

The only positive thing was that several other Arrows walked in at times and stood against the back wall of the classroom. They didn't speak and declined her invitation to participate, but they _were _there, watching silently.

And even though that was a small victory, Hailey couldn't help feeling disappointed in herself. The minor progress she'd made with her control and her classes wasn't enough to prevent the vivid nightmares from invading her dreams; many nights she was only able to sleep a couple of hours.

Sighing, she picked up her guitar from beside the kitchen table and slung the strap over her shoulder as she headed for a walk through the forest behind her cabin.

She tried to enjoy the beautiful nature surrounding the valley while walking over a narrow path between large ferns. Birds were chirping happily and she spotted a small flock, their black and red feathers gleaming in the sunlight shining through the leaves of a giant oak tree.

Thoughts wandering over the events of the past few months, Hailey let out a frustrated burst of Tk. The birds flew up from the tree and were long gone when the dust and leaves settled back on the forest floor.

Hailey gritted her teeth and kept on walking. The restless nights, the chaos in her mind, the incidents she'd incited; she was tired of trying to control herself only to feel the reins slip further away.

After wandering for a while, she heard water and came upon a river with daffodils and buttercups growing along the riverbank. It all looked strangely serene, this beautifully scenic stream in the vicinity of the world's most dangerous people.

She placed her guitar down in the grass and took off her sneakers and socks. With the cool grass tickling against her feet, she stepped over to the riverbed edge and sat down, putting her feet in the water. The cold instantly calmed her, as it always did.

Hailey drew in a deep, cleansing breath and picked up her guitar. Absentmindedly she started plucking the strings and began to sing, soothing the restless melodies of her mind.

Walking through the forest on the outskirts of the valley, James was looking for Hailey after getting directions from one of the teenagers. He'd gone to find her at her cabin for an extra training session but she hadn't been there. Robin told him he'd seen Hailey walk into the forest with her guitar an hour before.

James followed the trail she unknowingly had left. When trail ended, the forest floor disturbed, he did a telepathic scan across the area, but found nothing besides some smaller life forms.

Continuing to walk, he thought about Hailey's progress over the past weeks. He respected the fact that, even though Hailey wasn't used to the intensive training schedule, she didn't complain about the aches and fatigue she undoubtedly felt. She was extremely strong-willed and determined to prove him wrong every turn of the way. It was exactly that part of her nature James tried to tap into, being able to do so by simply using words. He knew Hailey had a temper, had seen the sparks of anger jolt in her eyes the first moment they'd met.

There was wildness, a light inside her that was different from the changelings but more untamed than in humans. Perhaps it was the uncommon blend of the Forgotten genetics, but James wasn't sure if that was the case. Santos had never struck him as free and bold.

It was her. It was Hailey Logan.

Their interactions caused a response in him he'd never anticipated before training her.

She intrigued him.

Those unique, singular eyes compelled him to push her. It was most unusual.

As unusual were her numerous taunts and jests. It was as if she'd made it her personal crusade to banter him out of Silence. She wasn't afraid of going head to head with him, even after he'd made crude comments about her body and her abilities. He knew full well he'd acted harsh and curt back then, though it hadn't been to hurt her; he'd done it to motivate her.

_Don't fool yourself. That's not the only reason why. _

James ignored the voice of reason in his mind. Instinctively he knew he couldn't tell her he wanted to motivate her. Hailey was too proud and stubborn to simply ask and accept help openly. It was one of the reasons why he didn't want anyone else to oversee her training. Her mere presence would be too much for some of his brothers-in-arms to handle.

The fact that James handled on instinct regarding her was yet another reminder that he wasn't as Silent as he should be. As a gradient 9.8 Tk, he _always_ had to be in control of himself. And even though he'd initially thought he'd be able to cling onto the Silent mandate, his conditioning seemed to splinter every minute in Hailey's presence.

His mind skated to the myriad of ways she tried to provoke him.

_Her dark eyebrows drew together. "Were you looking at my ass just now?" A small snort at the icy glare he gave her, long eyelashes batting rapidly as she attempted to give an innocent look. "Calm down, milord. I was just playing."_

"_What happens when you're working undercover and you're spying on someone and you really, really need to pee?" Lights danced in her dark eyes at his silence. "I pity you for having to deal with me on a daily basis. I'm proud and glad you haven't bashed your head repeatedly against a tree yet." _

_A deep sigh, her eyes streaked with gold. "It must be difficult to comprehend how someone can be as talented as I am." Two coins dropped to the ground as she scrunched her nose while moving her arms in the rhythm of her routine. "Told you? I'm a natural."_

"_If you grow a beard, is it blond or red?"_

That last comment had caused the dissonance to lash out extremely hard in his brain, triggering a severe nosebleed _despite_ the fact that the surface layers of the dissonance controls had been removed for him to function in the new world.

Hailey hadn't noticed it this time, since he'd stopped the blood from flowing with the use of his Tk until after their training session. Immediately after she'd left, he'd gone to the psychic plane to check his inner shields, which were showing significant hairline fractures. He'd spent most of his time after that building numerous layers to secure his shields.

James had to admit he was tempted to respond to her, temptation something he shouldn't have felt either if he was truly Silent. So contrary to what he'd told Hailey, he _did_ feel. It had surprised him that the feelings he'd locked away twenty-six years ago hadn't stopped existing. No, they'd been in the same cryogenic state as the rest of him, frozen under layers of ice… until the day Hailey's light started shining on that ice, melting away his resistance to keep the walls up. And only then he understood the anger and violence weren't the only feelings that had been suppressed for such a long time.

All the whispers of emotion James had begun experiencing since the start of their interactions had brutally intensified the day Hailey watched his sparring match with Dio. The second he'd heard her telepathically, she had also broadcasted something else. The doors to her psyche had swung open as soon as she'd frozen everything, and James had experienced the faintest touches of _her_ emotions; fear and anxiety as her abilities shot out of control, and later her warmth and an emotion he'd categorized as gratitude when she'd been alone with him.

His own responses had been the most substantial during the laps he'd told her to run, when she'd laughed after he caught her with his Tk. He hadn't even consciously caught her the first time but had acted on the protective impulse that kept growing stronger for her. After that, it _had _been a conscious effort, and he knew it was because he was unable to watch her fall after trying so hard. Warmth and light had seeped through every cell in his system at her laughter, making his stomach clench and his skin shiver.

Yesterday during their lap-training session Hailey had asked the gentlest of questions; she'd requested to trace his movements with her psychic energy. With every other recruit he would have given his consent right away for educational purposes, but with Hailey he'd questioned his own motives, questioned whether he'd be able to deal with the sensation of her all around him. The second he'd felt her encasing him, James knew it had been a big mistake to have granted her permission. His heart had stopped working for a fraction of a second at the unmistakable feel of her warmth, her wild, bright energy in direct contact with him.

It was a problem. A complicated problem… with only one logical solution.

James had no intention whatsoever of removing any more of the dissonance tripwires in his mind. The only other choice he had was to stop overseeing Hailey's training and rebuild everything that was fracturing within his mind. But that option became less appealing with every interaction that passed between them–which should have been the deciding factor.

It wasn't.

Even though he was used to making split-second decisions, James found himself unable to make _this _decision, to stop himself from gravitating towards Hailey's orbit. It was foolish and dangerous but he couldn't find the power to step back. And he knew why.

Memories of another training session appeared in front of his mind's eye.

_Big eyes completely dark, she stared at the objects he was holding _

"_First you throw coins at me, now you've brought knives. What's next? Cord dancing?" She glared warily at the knives again. "I'm not sure if I want to join the circus just yet, but I appreciate the effort."_

_A familiar sting rippled through his chest at her words. Turning away, he focused on hanging a circular display on a tree as he struggled to shore up his mental barriers on the Net. Entirely preoccupied, he missed Hailey closing the distance between them._

_Her fingertips skated over the smooth surface of the display and she leaned in closer to look at the device. She stood close enough that he noticed her perfume. The soft smell made his heartbeat rise._

_Swallowing, he glanced sideways as her long, dark eyelashes came down for an instant. Her gaze snapped up to him, pupils dilated and surprise in her eyes. Cheeks flushed, her teeth sank into her full lower lip. _

_An odd sensation appeared in his stomach. The stab in his mind that followed alerted him of his emotional responses towards her. He stood up straight to create distance and towered over her while he held up the knives. _

"_Stand over there," he pointed the tips of the narrow blades at another tree, several yards away. "Aim them into the heart of the target."_

_When her eyebrows rose and the corners of her mouth twitched, he realized his comment had been open to numerous interpretations. Another sharp stab speared through his head as another crack marked his shields._

"_Now," he ordered._

_Her half smile turned into a scowl as she fisted her hands and her eyes switched from gold to brown with jade flecks. He could tell she was holding back a comment by the way her jaw clenched; yet she remained silent. She turned and jogged towards the other end of the clearing, the curves of her body noticeable in her skin-tight leggings and dark green t-shirt, knotted at her hip. She swiveled around to face him and folded her arms in front of her chest. "You didn't give me the knives."_

_He threw the knives towards the tree on her left. The blades sliced through the air, and he heard her gasp as she jumped aside. _

_Hailey bared her teeth at him after pulling the knives out of the tree. "I'd suggest for you not to stand too close to the target," she hissed. "It would be a shame if one of the knives accidentally landed in your eye socket. Red and blue don't mix very well." _

_Another shard stabbed in his head, this one stronger._

_He fisted his hands in order to rein in his urge to go to her–to demand her to speak so bluntly to his face, to show her his strength. Instead, he flatly gave her instructions how to use her Tk to steer the knives towards the right spot. _

_She squared her shoulders, stuck out her chin and held up the first knife. On a deep exhale, she threw the blade. _

_He noticed she used her Tk to push the object, the velocity higher than a regular throw, but her aim was off. The knife shot inches past the tree and fell to the forest floor. _

_Her jaw clenched. Hailey didn't like to fail at anything. _

_He purposefully commented on her in order to enhance her performance. Every time she wanted to prove him wrong, she handled assignments more effectively and efficiently."Very good," he remarked dryly. "Next time, try to hit the tree at least."_

_The anger radiating from her body noticeably hummed through the air, even at this distance. Eyes a blazing jade, she inhaled deeply, held the second knife beside her head and threw it at the target. This blade moved even faster, and he could see that she was using her Tk to angle it. She overdid a correction right before the knife would hit near the center of the target. A dull thud sounded as the knife stopped and hovered right in front of the outer ring, the digital display one of his designs, using magnetism and hover-technology to stop the knives from making impact. _

_Hailey tilted her head sideways. "Better, milord?" _

_She stood up straight and threw the last knife before he could remove the second one. He retrieved the first knife by use of his Tk as the last one hit the target left from the center. _

"_Ahhh, snap!" Her smile was wide as she did a small dance before she returned her attention to him. "This is fun, I want to try again."_

_His mouth went dry as he watched the fluid movement of her body. Momentarily unable to speak, he masked his response by throwing the knives back at her. A determined glint appeared in her eyes as she stopped them right in front of her and plucked them out of the air. _

_An hour later, she hit every single knife in the heart of the target, even after he adjusted the core to a circle the size of a coin. _

_The last knife she threw hacked into a lower part of the tree. He went on his haunches and pulled it out as he wondered what had made her unfocused enough to miss this badly after hitting the target dead center time after time. _

_The answer came to him when he felt a light tap against his cheekbone, as the pommel of one of the blades brushed against his skin. _

"_If I can sneak up on you, I must be more dangerous than I look," the smile was apparent in her voice. _

_He sucked in a quiet breath and closed his eyes as he pushed past the severe stabbing sensation in his head. He used his Tk to push away the knife, sending it to a nearby tree. Then he twisted, grabbed her ankle and pulled her down to the forest floor. He made sure the drop was gentle, caught her with his Tk and wrapped his fingers softly around her throat._

_One hand clenched in his t-shirt, indicating it had been an instinctive response for her to grab hold of him during her fall; her intuition categorized him as 'safe'. _

_Her chest rose and fell in a jagged rhythm, her breasts brushing his forearm with every breath she inhaled. A numbing stab made his spine lock and his fingers tightened on the soft skin of her fragile neck. _

_Deep brown eyes that saw too much observed him. Her lips parted as she released the hold on his shirt, her hand resting on his chest. Warmth seeped through the fabric, bled onto his skin, the soft scent of peonies and cedar around him. _

_He said the first thing that came to mind. "That was dangerous."_

_Her gaze slid down to his mouth before she looked into his eyes again. "Why?" Her husky voice brushed against his senses, made his skin heat. Hailey slowly lifted her other hand and wrapped her fingers around his wrist, tugging at his arm to release his hold on her. "You're a protector. You wouldn't hurt me." _

_She sounded entirely convinced of that statement, as if it was incomprehensible to her why he'd suggest otherwise. _

_He had to ask. "How can you be certain?" He removed his hand from her throat and placed it beside her head. Her hand slid from his wrist to his biceps, the loose grip of her fingers a heavy shackle that weighed him down._

_She shook her head and smiled. "I don't know. I can feel it here," she stroked her hand over his pectoral, where his heart thudded irregularly underneath the muscles and ribs. Their eyes locked and her pupils dilated, dark irises with jade jolts as a mild blush flushed her cheeks. Electrical tension seemed to be flickering in the air around them. _

_Her gaze skated away after several moments as she pushed at his chest and released his arm. "I need to go teach a class," she whispered. _

_He stood up and hauled her up with him. As they stood toe-to-toe, she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and looked up at him again. _

"_I'll see you tonight," she said before she turned away and left._

He'd stood there, frozen in surprise of the what had passed between them while watching her hips sway as she disappeared into the forest.

Hailey's confident statement was unjustified–he'd never be able to live up to her expectation. She'd been right to be wary of him during the start of her training but somehow their sessions together had led her to disregard the shadows inside of him. And now, Hailey's trust in him had become indisputable.

Just as he'd trusted her so strongly that he knew she'd never use the knife on him, regardless of her angry words. For some reason, the warning systems embedded in his mind didn't register her as any kind of threat. That had never happened before.

_Walking such a fine line. It has to stop._

Reordering his thoughts to focus on repairing his shields again–_it appears Hailey isn't the only one with concentration issues–_James heard a familiar warm voice fill the air. The haunting melody drew him to her like a siren song.

Too late he realized he'd come to a halt on the bank of a small stream, where an almost naked Hailey was swimming as she sang quietly, her eyes closed.

James was immobilized by the sight of her luscious caramel skin, her breasts covered by a wet bra. The nearly see-through peach-colored fabric clung to the skin of those luscious mounds, revealing dark, beaded nipples. She slid under the water and he could see her voluptuous behind, covered by lace panties in the same shade as her bra. His gaze caught the silky skin of her thighs before the water covered her fully.

James' entire body responded to the accidental erotic sight. Every inch of his skin warmed, his hands curled into tight fists and his erection strained in his black cargo pants. An agonizing stab speared through his head.

Doing a breathing exercise he recalled from sniper training, he felt his body relax a fraction. He belatedly realized Hailey had been submerged for a substantial amount of time as he'd struggled to regain control. Peering over the water's surface, James grew alarmed when he didn't see her and stepped to the edge of the riverbank.

Right then, Hailey emerged directly in front of him.

The water near the bank was shallower than in the middle of the stream, and as she stood up it only covered her to the waist. Her skin gleamed in the afternoon sun and her long, dark hair clung to the skin of her shoulders and back. With her chest in his direct line of sight, James' body immediately reacted again. She might as well have worn nothing at all.

Hailey wiped the water from her face and opened her eyes. Gasping, she covered her breasts and froze. His gaze flicked to her hands, but when she jerked, he met her eyes and every other thought evaporated.

Her irises were molten jade and gold, glowing as if they were lit from within, compelling for their uniqueness, their otherness.

Then the water began to rise from the river, forming a barrier between them in less than two heartbeats, veiling her from his gaze. James stepped forward and lifted his hand to reach for the wall of liquid; it was such an unusual sight. But before he could touch it, the water slammed back down, gushing over the riverbank.

And Hailey's small form floated motionless in the river.


	10. Chapter 8

8

Hailey woke to warmth all around her, a cradling sensation surrounding her. Curling into the heat source, she braced her hand against it as oak moss and sandalwood encircled her. Inhaling deeply, she sighed and rubbed her cheek against the warm, smooth surface. Something soft was draped over her body like a small sheet.

She frowned. This wasn't her pillow.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was the golden skin under her palms. Looking up, she saw a stubborn jaw, blond hair and azure blue eyes.

_What?!_

Blinking, Hailey tried to clear the fog in her mind. "James?" Her voice sounded like a rasp.

All movement stopped as James watched her, the cool gaze making her shudder. "Are you cold?"

_Come again? _

Before she could speak, the air around her warmed.

_He's using his Tk_, she thought.

"Wait," she said as he started walking. "Why is your shirt gone?" Pulling away her hand, she realized his skin felt slightly damp. "Why are you wet? And why am I–"

Fragmented memories fell a little more in order as she pushed at James' chest. He stopped again and stared down at her.

"What happened?" Hailey became more and more aware of her skin touching James' skin… everywhere.

With his left arm around her back and his right under her legs, he was carrying her as if she weighed nothing. Her side pressed against his bare torso and the warmth of his skin permeated hers. The hairs on his forearm tickled the soft skin on the back of her thighs, the intimate caress making her breasts swell and nipples furl into small buds, rasping against her lace bra. The only thing covering her seemed to be a black piece of fabric.

_His shirt?_

Stomach clenching, Hailey felt sparks creep over her skin and pulse through her body like electricity. But before she could wiggle out of his hold–and oh, heaven_, _his chest really _was _all solid muscle–James spoke, demanding her attention.

"You collapsed, I pulled you out of the water. When you didn't wake, I checked your vitals and decided it would be better to carry you to the cabin and get an M-Psy."

When he went as if to walk, she pushed at his chest again. "Wait, can you put me down? I can't think," she muttered.

He kept on holding her. "Are you certain you'll be able to stand?"

Hailey shot him a look. "I feel fine." The only thing she noticed was a small amount of psychic strain, but given her current training regiment that was hardly surprising.

"As you wish," he said as he lowered her but kept his hands on her waist to steady her. His t-shirt slid to the forest floor, yet neither of them made an effort to pick it up.

Ignoring the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach at the contact, Hailey rearranged her thoughts. "Okay, so I passed out, face flat into the water." Which was strange, considering her other abilities, but more importantly, "What happened right before that? I was just swimming, and then…"

Something clicked in her brain.

"You!" Poking her finger into his chest and not being distracted _at all_ by his amazing six pack, her voice pitched an octave higher than usual from sheer astonishment. Backing up a step in order to be able to breathe, she felt James' hands drop from her waist. "You set me off! You were _watching_ me!" She blushed. "And you freaked me out, made me overload or something like that."

She now recalled the _look_ James had given her as he'd watched her; pure, unblinking focus, taking in every inch of her. His penetrating gaze had felt like he was running his big hands all over her body.

Hailey shuddered, a little surprised at the realization how bad she wanted that piece of imagination to become reality.

_Wait. What?! For the love of God, Hailey Logan, get yourself together and stop being so desperate. He doesn't feel and certainly doesn't want to touch you the same way you want to touch his beau– _

_STOP. Just stop. _

Blush creeping along her neck and painfully aware she was barely clothed, she opted for annoyance over hormone-driven teenager as she folded her arms in front of her chest. "And that's when the water rose in front of me." Her eyebrows knitted together as she tried to figure out how that was possible. "I didn't know I could do that with such minor Tk." Her telekinetic ability was tied to water more dominantly than other objects or substances due to her genetic background, but still…so much power.

"We'll discuss it another time," James said, his tone curt.

Confused, Hailey shook her head and thought about what happened as she turned around and started walking back to the river.

"What are you doing?" James asked.

_Is that a hint of irritation in his voice?_

"I'm going to put some clothes on." A scowl. "I can't believe you would have carried me back half naked for everyone to see!" After everything that had happened the past week, that was the last thing she wanted right now.

James grabbed her arm and pulled her in his direction, his posture straight, the perfect soldier. "You need medical attention."

Hailey was so flustered by the physical contact; she didn't even try to wrench herself free. "I _need _to put some clothes on," she said defiantly as she looked in depths of azure.

He stared at her. And she stared back.

Hailey felt her heart rate increase at the feel of James' hand on her arm and the force of his gaze. Then he gave a slight nod. "Fine. I'm coming with you." He released her arm, picked up his shirt from the ground and dusted off the leaves clinging to the fabric before handing it to her.

Hailey rolled her eyes at his definitive tone as she slid on the shirt.

_Oh, sweet heaven. _

The soft fabric smelled of him. And she really, really, _really_ liked the way he smelled.

"How gallant of you, milord," she said in order to keep herself from leaping up in his arms again to nuzzle his neck and inhale his delicious fragrance from the skin. Besides, he was crazy if he thought she was a fragile little doll he had to safeguard.

Before he could respond, Hailey dashed off, using her Tk to shoot her body into motion. James was next to her in a flash.

"_Hailey,_" his voice a warning.

Grinning, Hailey rushed through the forest, avoiding the trees and tree stumps. The wind was crisp against her face, her wet hair still clinging to her skin. She glimpsed the river through the tree line. A heartbeat later, James appeared several feet in front of her.

Hailey was running so fast, she didn't have time to stop. Just as she was about to slam into him, she felt a familiar thrust of Tk which undeniably belonged to James–cool, masculine and protective. Her movements slowed down and he caught her in his arms, spinning half a circle around his axis to redirect her momentum.

Letting out a small cry, Hailey instinctively wrapped her arms and legs around him at impact, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Lack of focus and lack of obedience." His breath caressed her ear as he spoke.

Hailey shivered as she lifted her head and looked straight into his eyes, being the same height in this position. "I already told you," she said breathlessly as she licked her dry lips, "I'm not a dog."

She watched as James' eyes drop to her lips and rest there a moment before he looked up and responded. "Yes, you did." His hands lightly squeezed her thighs, making warmth uncurl in her stomach. 'You'd make for an appalling soldier."

Suddenly aware of the intimate position she had put herself in, Hailey unwrapped her legs from his hips. James lowered her to the ground, his hands resting on her waist for a few moments before he released her.

Tempted to taunt him and eager for a response, Hailey knew she couldn't let this opportunity slide. "Good thing I'm a teacher then," she said, her voice husky.

She bit back a smile when his pupils dilated. Hopping away toward the riverside before he could respond, she walked to the bunch of clothes she'd stripped off before her swim and pulled off James' t-shirt.

Hailey knew full well she had just extended an invitation to this Silent soldier, but she couldn't help being extremely curious to discover the man behind the silent, statuesque front. He could be harsh and fight with her…

_But wouldn't it be an amazing reward to make up for those fights with such an intense man? _

Butterflies began racing in her stomach at that thought as Hailey shrugged off James' t-shirt and quickly shimmied into her jeans and airy scarlet top. She sat down on the ground to put on her socks and shoes as she said, "It's funny, I went to find a place to be alone because I felt like crap, but now I actually feel better."

Azure eyes that seemed to burn watched her. "Arguing with me makes you feel better?"

Hailey smirked as she picked up his shirt and threw it at him. "Well yeah, I need to get some frustration out of my system and you're the perfect target." She stood up, picked up her guitar and walked towards James while he put on the shirt, his skin still slightly damp and his hair wet.

Sucking in a breath at the sight of his gorgeous body in motion, the grace of his movements lethally edged, she moved until she stood at an arm's length from him. She had to force herself not to reach out and push back the damp strands that fell across his forehead.

Instead, she tipped up her head to meet his gaze and continued. "But seriously, even though you're sometimes maddening, you do seem to know exactly what I need to blow off steam."

Hailey mentally slapped herself for that ambiguous statement. Then she reminded herself that Silent Psy didn't participate in acts of physical contact and felt the knot in her stomach release.

_So, if he's so Silent, why did he carry you and catch you just now? _she wondered. James could as well given one of his fellow Arrows a telepathic hail to teleport her back to her cabin. And he could have stopped her from running into him just now by use of his Tk alone–he was more than powerful enough to do so. Before her heart could react to the hope that was uncurling deep inside of her, James spoke.

"Maybe you should try other ways to 'blow off steam'," he said as he turned to walk into the forest again.

Hailey frowned. That hadn't been the reaction she had expected.

_But what _did _you expect?_

That was a good question. It almost seemed like James was insulted by her words. Feeling she had to set things straight, Hailey ran to catch up with him. She yanked his arm and he froze.

"Hey, I'm sorry, don't be mad. I didn't mean to say you're only useful for training me."

He shot her a look and continued walking. "I'm Silent. I don't feel anger."

She narrowed her eyes as she fell into step beside him. "Really? _Really, _James? You want to go there?"

He kept quiet as he continued walking, his jaw a hard line.

_Okay, the gloves are off. He's going there._

"You feel," she said, her tone sharp. "You're not as Silent as you pretend to be." She snorted. "Your temper is as bad as mine. And frankly, I don't understand why you feel like you have to keep up the front. There's no one to judge you anymore." Acting on intuition, she reached out with her hand and placed it on his forearm.

James froze in place again. Hailey nearly bumped into him but froze as well when he turned his head towards her.

The wind around her picked up.

She gulped in a breath at the sight of the glacial, distant look in his eyes.

_He's doing it on purpose! _a voice in her mind shouted, but it didn't shut down the primal warning her brain was sending to the rest of her body.

Her heart slammed in her chest and she took two steps backward, stopping when she felt the rough bark of a tree against her back. She dropped her guitar to the forest floor. It made an off sound that echoed through the woods.

A cold shiver ran up her spine as James stepped forward and pinned her down with his gaze. When he spoke, his voice sounded as flat as the first day she met him. "Stop acting like you know me. And I suggest you stop reading signals that are not there." His stare was unrepentant, hard and cold.

Rain started to fall through the cover of the trees as the sky rumbled.

Shame flooded over Hailey as her stomach churned and her heart clenched, an icy hand wrapped around the organ, tightening with every harsh word he spoke.

"I'm Silent, I do not feel and that's exactly how it should be for me to do my assignments for the Squad."

Hailey couldn't stand to look at him, her eyes skidding down to her feet. Had she been so wrong?

Maybe he was right, maybe she was fantasizing about his reactions solely because she wanted him to respond to her feelings. Or maybe her feelings were growing because she was grateful for his help since he was her mentor.

Doubt and humiliation filled her heart. "I'm sorry," she whispered, angry at herself for the desperate attempts to connect with someone who wasn't interested in her. She was just another assignment. Nothing more. The intensity she thought connected them was obviously one-sided.

_He's told you over and over: He's Silent. This is your own fault! _

The voice in her head made her feel even smaller and she swallowed, fighting back the tears that burned in her eyes. When she dared to look up, James nodded curtly, his face a blank mask.

"Make sure you get a medical check-up," he said before he walked away.

Hailey held it together until she couldn't see James through the trees anymore. Slumping down on the forest floor, she felt stupid for letting herself get carried away like this. The pull between them clearly didn't affect him the same way as it did her, if it was existent at all.

Wiping away the tears of embarrassment and hurt, she leaned back against the tree and started banning him from her aching heart.

Two days after the incident at the river, Hailey had to teach another class. After martial arts training and a quick shower, she fixed her hair in a messy bun and headed for the school building.

She carried a couple bags of groceries she needed for her class. After James' harsh rejection, Hailey focused on the professional relationship with him and had stopped needling him. She'd requested him to arrange to get the materials she needed and he'd given her the bags a few hours later.

No acerbic comments, no taunts, no challenges, no fights.

James seemed entirely unaffected by what had passed between them. Unfortunately for her, she had three blocks of training every day with him to improve her control. Hailey simply followed his instructions during practice with gritted teeth, her senses abraded by the proximity of him.

He'd tell her to do something and she'd do it to the best of her abilities without smart mouthing him. And after training was over, she didn't linger. She walked around the compound to chat with other Arrows, went to the playground to spend time with the smaller children or took a swim in the river. Anything that could distract her was better than constantly hearing the dull echoes of James' words in her head.

"_Stop acting like you know me."_

Well, wasn't that like an ice-cold bucket of water to wake her from her daydreams? Just like the words she used to remind herself what they were to each other; she was just another assignment, nothing more.

Her stomach still knotted when she saw James and her nights were even worse than before, but Hailey wouldn't impose on someone who made it very clear he wanted her to back off.

Their connection had seemed so other, so intimate to her, she'd automatically assumed he was feeling attracted to her as well. She was glad she could focus on her class today instead of chastising herself over how she had gotten it all _so_ _wrong_.

"Today you'll be building a tower made of marshmallows and spaghetti," Hailey said as she gestured towards the bags of candy and packs of uncooked pasta on her desk. "The goal is to make a tower as high and stable as possible. If your structure collapses, you'll have to start over." Hailey leaned against her desk as she continued.

"Since you're Psy, you actually have three forms of communication: verbal, nonverbal and psychic. During this exercise you will only be allowed to use your nonverbal communication skills. I won't be able to 'hear' your psychic communication but trust me: I can tell if your team decides to cheat." She shot the teenagers a knowing look. "Winner of this exercise gets a prize. Robin and I will be the judges." Hailey made eye contact with Robin, who had unexpectedly returned to class after being absent for most of the week–just like Joyce and the two other teenagers, Han and Affendy.

Joyce had explained to Hailey she'd been away for a training session abroad with a group of younger Arrows–including the two other boys. They'd given her an embarrassed look when they told her they'd forgotten to report their absence. The Arrows in charge of their family units purposefully hadn't mentioned it in order to educate them in the importance of responsibility.

Hailey had dramatically started crying–fake tears, of course–for about ten seconds. Once the shock had faded and they'd realized she was playing with them, Han had given her a small smile and called her mean, but a good actress. Their big eyes were enough of a punishment, Hailey deemed, and she'd explained that their absence had instigated feelings of worry. They'd given her solemn nods and had taken a seat atop one of the tables in the back to listen to her instructions.

After assigning the students to small groups, Hailey said, "You have fifteen minutes, your time starts now."

As the others began the exercise, Hailey walked over to Robin and put her hand lightly on his shoulder. "Walk with me," she said quietly.

He made a jerky movement at the use of physical contact, his shoulders tensing, but stood up from his chair and walked with Hailey to the back of the classroom. Standing halfway out the doorway, she looked at him, speaking softly for the others not to overhear them. "What made you decide to come back?"

Robin stared at his classmates rather than her, an indifferent look in his eyes. "I spoke with Aden. He told me to give it another shot."

"I'm happy you decided to come back," Hailey said truthfully.

Robin gave her a quick glance, his expression wary. "Why?"

"Because I think you need the skills I intend to teach more than the others," she answered. Robin's behavior was disturbing to her. The anger she'd noticed during their first class combined with his flat responses weren't unfamiliar. Hailey had seen other teenagers act the same, after which they tended to snap in some shape or form, breaking under the weight of their emotions and experiences. Some turned violent or fell into depression. Others mutilated themselves. She could provide Robin a healthier outlet for his feelings… if he'd choose to stick with her.

Robin didn't reply to her comment as they both observed the other students building progress. One of the towers was collapsing, but two children caught the falling pieces and started working on a stronger foundation.

"Have you done the homework I assigned?" Hailey wasn't sure if she was applying too much pressure, but if his decision was to be here, he was going to have to put up with her.

"Why is it important that I like something?" Robin asked, and this time she found only genuine curiosity in his green eyes.

_That's more like it. _

"Because liking and disliking something is one of the foundations of who we are."

The look Robin gave her made it clear he didn't understand the concept she was speaking of. Hailey decided to elaborate and found herself more passionate with each word she spoke. "Contrary to what the Council tried to make you all believe, you aren't interchangeable. If Psy were interchangeable, it wouldn't matter to Aden if it were Zaira at his side or Nikita Duncan." She shot Robin a _look _as he appeared to be giving her words serious thought.

She continued while she absentmindedly noticed a door opening. "You are unique individuals with your own qualities and skills. Being capable of liking something makes you able to express who you are, express what you want. It gives life purpose, gives you a goal to work toward. If you can name something you like and you're eager to do it again, then you can experience happiness and joy."

She smiled. "Maybe even affection or love. If you do something that you dislike, it can instigate feelings of sadness, boredom, sorrow. That's how you'll know you don't want to do it again purposely. Each and every one of you Arrows _deserves _to experience life at its fullest, as much as is possible in your situation. I want you to have that life, Robin, even if you think my classes are a waste of time."

Taking a deep breath, she smiled at him again. "You get to choose. They don't control you anymore. So choose what makes you happy." Robin swallowed, and Hailey thought, just maybe, her words were sinking in. Then she saw him glance sideways and stiffen.

Hailey followed his line of sight and noticed every student was watching them and had overheard her little speech. Feeling awkward, she motioned them to continue their exercise.

Then a rustling noise sounded from the corridor behind her. Hailey jerked and turned around. That's when she realized an Arrow meeting had been taking place in the smaller classroom across from hers.

_Oh crap._ So the door she'd heard just now had been the one of the room where they had gathered.

Aden, Zaira, Cristabel, Vasic, James and a few others she didn't know had obviously overheard her conversation with Robin and were now staring at her.

Cheeks flushing at drawing their attention, Hailey wished she could turn invisible in order not to deal with this awkwardness. "Why don't you go check out how the others are doing?" Hailey asked Robin, praying this would all be over soon.

Robin hesitated a moment but walked into the classroom and closed the door as Hailey turned to the other Arrows again. Some of them walked out of the school building, but she saw James, Zaira and Aden still standing in the hallway across from her. Then Zaira nodded at Aden and, after inclining her head towards Hailey, walked out of the building as well.

_Right. Telepathy,_ Hailey reminded herself. She quickly smiled back and then focused on the two men who had closed the distance between them and now stood in front of her.

"I think," Aden murmured, "Robin will be attending all your classes from now on."

Hailey shrugged. "I'm not too sure about that. I hope he does, but it's his choice."

"It is. I have faith he'll make the right choice," Aden said before turning and walking out the building as well, leaving her and James in the corridor.

"Do you truly believe what you told the boy?" he quietly asked her, sound of his voice making her heart skip a beat.

_Stop it, Hales! _

She released a quiet breath, straightened her shoulders and met his gaze. "Yes, I do."

James seemed to take in her words while studying her face. Feeling a bit flustered by those eyes of azure pinning her on the spot, she tried to ignore how close they were standing–even though she could see the slight stubble covering his jaw.

In a flash, the vivid memory of James carrying her while she was barely clothed came to mind. Hailey felt her stomach clench, unable to suppress her physical response to the man who demanded so much from her, unleashed so many feelings.

_But those feelings will always remain unrequited. Stop swooning over him!_

Another blush crept up over her cheeks, shame and wanting combined. In the long seconds as her thoughts careened through her mind, James hadn't said a word, only observed her intently.

Just when Hailey wanted to say something to break the tense silence between them, James spoke. "I have to take another look at your organizer. It seems I've forgotten to check something."

Snapping to attention, she muttered something in agreement and opened the door to the classroom to fetch her organizer. Hailey sucked in a few deep breaths while she retrieved it from her backpack.

_Don't go there, Hales. Just… don't. You're damaged enough as it is right now. _

She returned to the corridor where James stood waiting. "Here," she said as she handed him the device.

And before she could ask, James' deep, dark voice filled the air around her once more. "I'll have it back to you by tomorrow. Training will start at dawn."

Hailey nodded, unable to speak without giving too much away to this statuesque, Silent man. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice the three thousand inappropriate thoughts that shot through her mind as he inclined his head in that way he had and walked off.


	11. Chapter 9

9

After the tense conversation with James, Hailey returned to her students. She was happy her class was finally getting somewhere; the teenagers had fulfilled the exercise without cheating. They discussed the usefulness of communicating nonverbally after the exercise. Dismissing class, Hailey grabbed her backpack and headed for the picnic table in front of her cabin.

She smiled wistfully as she thought back to the teenagers' response when she'd given the winning group big bars of chocolate, and handed smaller bars to all the other students. Hailey wondered what they'd think of the flavors, having assigned them to try a piece as their 'homework'. She'd ask them their opinion of the treat during the next class.

While busy writing some notes on the paper notebook in front of her, she glanced up as Zaira sat down across from her.

"Is your class going well?" the other woman asked.

Hailey closed her notebook and shoved it aside. "Yeah, I guess so. A lot of the things I try to teach may be nonsensical to them, but when we discuss the usefulness of certain skills, they get where I'm coming from. Having a bachelor's degree in children's psychology pays off after all," Hailey said as she winked at Zaira, who nodded in response.

"Which is why I know you were discussing me," Hailey tapped her temple with her index finger, "when you guys saw me talking to Robin. Sorry to go all rooting-for-autonomy-and-independence on you guys. I didn't mean to push."

Zaira shook her head. "No, it's not that." She inclined her head at two Arrows walking by. Then she returned her attention to Hailey again, her elbows braced on the table. "When we first started teaching the children our new ways, I told the others to respond to the children as kindly as they were able to. It's unexpected to have someone in our midst that does so without thought. I think some of them envy you for being able to do so naturally."

This time Hailey shook her head while giving the fierce Arrow across from her a rueful smile. "There's nothing to be envious of. I lack the tight control you all manage to keep on your abilities."

Hailey liked Zaira, liked how she was direct and honest. It made her open up a little herself. "Because I don't have that control, I've hurt others badly," she admitted. "One of my best friends got hurt one time." Luckily, Shane didn't hate her for it; he'd even comforted her after she'd injured him. "The previous times when my powers turned erratic, it was like everything spun out of control–just like when James found me at the river."

Zaira's expression was slight but seemed like one of surprise.

"He didn't tell you?" Hailey asked.

"No."

Hailey thought about what that meant and came up blank. She made _very sure_ not to assume anything anymore about the complicated man that was James Addison.

"Oh. Well, I was swimming in the river, and he caught me off guard. Then, the water rose up like a wallaround me. I think the large amount of power I used caused my brain to short-circuit." She pursed her lips. "I passed out and James pulled me out of the river. He said I looked like I was drowning." Except she _couldn't have been_. Not that James knew that, but the small fact kept bugging her. Maybe her surge of power made her entire system overload? Maybe straining one ability could block the others?

Scowling at her useless attempts at finding an answer she met Zaira's eyes, who was staring at her intently.

"He was watching you swim in the river?" Zaira's tone was so different from what Hailey had ever heard from the other woman, she was taken aback.

"Well, if you put it like that he sounds like a stalker. But it wasn't like that… I think." A frown. "He was looking for me so we could get a couple more hours of training in. Why?"

Zaira didn't respond to Hailey's question, but seemed to be interested in other things. "And he pulled you out of the river?"

Feeling like there was something she was missing, Hailey nodded. She spoke past the knots in her stomach at the memories of that day and replied to Zaira's question. "Yes. He said he checked my vitals and they were fine, but I was still out. So he carried me back." She ran her hand through her hair. "Well, until I came to and stopped him from carrying me over to the valley, half naked."

Zaira's eyebrows rose the tiniest fraction. "You were naked?"

Hailey scowled. "No, of course not. I was wearing underwear when I went swimming. Until I found it, I didn't know there was a stream nearby. I'll make sure to put on my bathing suit next time." Because it would be very, very awkward if something like that ever happened again.

Zaira just _looked _at her and Hailey felt a little flustered. "What? You never go swimming?" If that was the case, the Arrow kids were seriously missing out.

Zaira cleared her throat and shook her head. "No, it's not that."

_Is that a gleam of amusement in Zaira's dark, dark eyes? _

"It's just…" A pause. "You do understand that he's still Silent?"

Hailey's heart twisted inside her chest, the stinging sensation spreading through her body. Trying not to show her hurt, she made her tone nonchalant. "No shit. You don't have to tell me. He's made that abundantly clear." She shot Zaira a tight smile. "I thought he got a little annoyed by my comments. But I figured all's fair since I get annoyed by him ordering me around. He seemed to react badly when I called him 'Lord Addison' or 'milord' when he wanted something done. I stopped saying it though, since, as you pointed out, he's Silent and there's no reason for him to respond to me." Even if she still wanted him to.

Another stare from the honed assassin in front of her.

Hailey tilted her head a little to the side. "It's funny, the more time I spend with you badass Arrows, the more little things I notice about your expressions and interactions." With her elbow braced on the table, she popped her chin on her hand. "I always thought most Psy were really cold, but you guys actually care about each other a lot. Of course, it's totally not badass to admit something like that. Which proves my point: you guys have a bit of a macho-culture over here."

Zaira seemed to think about that. "Maybe. Or maybe we're learning".

Climbing the rugged surface of the mountain in the cold, moonlit night, James reached the small ledge where he often came to be alone and think. He had spent much time here before Aden became the leader of the Squad, needing to find an outlet after several intense, _gruesome _missions. Ever since the leadership of the Squad had switched, he found there was more silence in his mind, more peace.

Finishing off the climb with a few quick and familiar moves, James hauled himself over the ledge and sat down. Placing his backpack beside him, he swung his legs over the edge and watched the forest stretch out beneath him. The Squad owned the entire sprawl of land in between the mountains at the borders of the valley. Central Command lay underneath that land, but the subterranean space was deemed unfit for their young. Therefore, Aden and several other Arrows–after consulting Judd and his brother, Walker–had decided to build different types of family units on the land above it. Now, more than a year later, the valley looked like a small village.

James had been approached by Aden with a request to become one of the 'uncles' of a family unit. He'd immediately declined the offer. Teaching combat classes for a few hours or coming along on a training mission for several days, that was acceptable. But allowing the children near the darkness, only to corrupt them as well? Bonding with them, only so they might end up on the receiving end of his Tk once it would lash out when he'd experience emotions?

No.

_No one_ would hurt the Arrow children anymore and being close to him would do just that.

His gaze focused on the lights of the family units, small dots in the night. More to the left, near the edge of the compound, a small light lit up Hailey's cabin. Reaching inside his backpack, he took out her organizer and switched it on. He didn't need to go through the device again for security purposes, but he did need to look at something else.

"_You get to choose. So choose what makes you happy."_

Hailey's words had been lingering in his mind for hours. It was no surprise to him anymore that Hailey unleashed something inside him, made him feel. He'd tried to deny it for some days now, but each time he heard her sing, each time she snapped at him, each time she looked at him defiantly with those unique eyes, he felt his balance alter.

James thought of her words again and found he didn't understand why Hailey fought so passionately for his race, especially considering her status as one of the Forgotten.

_Maybe you should ask her. _

After considering that for a while, James decided against it. He didn't have the right to ask anything of her.

The past two days had been uneasy between them at best. Hailey hadn't smiled, had only responded with as few words as necessary and avoided him whenever she could.

James gritted his teeth. He was angry with himself for rejecting her so harshly. The truth was that he'd done it because he'd felt his telekinesis spiral out of control the moment Hailey had grabbed his arm and apologized. A vicious need had clawed at him, pushed at him to grab hold of her and not let go this time.

He'd done the only thing he could think of and slammed a burst of Tk high into the air, creating changes in the atmosphere. The wind had picked up and rain had started falling. And he knew he had to get away before things escalated further. It had been a long time ago when his abilities had lashed out that way, but it only meant one thing; he was losing control.

James had immediately searched the PsyNet for information about atmokineses–the ability to influence the weather–while using a shield that cloaked his movements in the Net. He needed to know for certain if there was even the slightest chance of a positive outcome for him, if there _was_ another way, if Aden was right.

He'd limited his search to information that dated pre-Silence. The answers he found were anything but reassuring. Before the dawn of Silence, there had been several reports on not only changes in weather, but natural disasters in general. Tsunamis, earthquakes, lightning storms, tornados, volcanic eruptions… the list went on and on. And while the occurrences were diverse, the reports were along the same lines. Whenever a high Gradient Tk lost control over their abilities, the result was either a carnage or wreckage.

And the thing that had spiked inside his chest, the thing that could have been hope, was immediately crushed down. For decades he had trained, had toiled and had been tortured to leash his telekinesis. One smile, one touch, one whisper and his grip was _gone_.

_Just like the light in her eyes. _

A gust of wind slammed against the mountain, causing several stones to break loose and slide down. James closed his eyes and used every ounce of control to rein in his Tk.

This was exactly the problem. If he chose to follow the path he'd been on, his abilities would destroy something. His abilities would harm Hailey. At the rate they were going, she was bound to make his control snap again. For some reason, they kept doing that to each other, kept pushing, taunting, sneering and fighting the other. He wasn't willing to give her an inch, because if she knew how close to the edge he was, she'd fight tooth and nail to claim that inch. She didn't understand how dangerous her curiosity was.

"_Your temper is as bad as mine."_

If he'd been human, or perhaps changeling, yes, he would've had a temper. And yes, it would have matched hers. But he wasn't human or changeling. He was Psy, with abilities that were too powerful, too dangerous to let loose. If he would, she'd lay motionless on the floor one day, the light faded from her irises and a white sheen over her eyes, her body cold. And he wouldn't allow that to happen.

_But you are hurting her now all the same. _

His body went taut at that reminder as he tried to erase the image of Hailey's pale face and the dark smudges underneath her eyes. Because the flat gaze she gave him, her warm, husky voice now distant, it tore something inside of him.

He had hurt her spirit in order to save the rest. And after seeing her today, hearing her speak up for the Psy, the Arrows, that felt like the biggest mistake he'd made in his entire lifetime. Opening his eyes, he looked at her cabin again.

_So close and so far out of reach._

Unwilling to feed the conflict in his mind anymore since the same arguments kept applying, he concentrated on the organizer. After flipping through several files, he found what he was looking for and tapped on the screen to open the file.

It was a recording of Hailey filmed from the side. Her surroundings looked like a café, the dark walls filled with small black and white portraits and various signs pointing towards the bar, kitchen and bathroom.

Sitting on a high stool in the faint light, Hailey held her guitar in one hand and steadied the old-fashioned microphone with her other. She was wearing a top made of a shimmering dark green fabric, decorated with black beads along the wide edges of the short sleeves. Tight black jeans hugged her luscious curves and casual black canvas sneakers completed her look.

Hailey told a joke that made the audience laugh, and when the hum of laughter faded, she started playing. James sat on that ledge high above the valley, watching and listening to the recording of her performance, unable to stop himself from downloading and securing her image and songs in the private vault of his mind. As he did, his body relaxed, soothed by the warm, husky sound of Hailey's voice.

He studied her expression in the videos, memorizing each of the small beauty marks on her jaw, the shape of her full lips and her long, dark lashes.

She'd been entirely in her element on that stage, her fingers plucking on the strings of her guitar as she sang with her eyes closed. It was oddly satisfying seeing her at ease since he was much more familiar with Hailey's defiant side. Somewhere in the back of his mind, James wondered if he'd ever get to see her like that. Off guard. Free.

_Probably not. Especially because you can't allow yourself to get that close to her._

He looked back at the organizer as the final song came to an end. Hailey smiled shyly at the cheering applause, then the recording cut off. James clicked on another recording in the same folder. This one showed Hailey in a different bar, and this time her performance had been filmed a bit more shakily from the front of the stage.

Standing next to her was a tall male with auburn hair and pale blue eyes. He smiled at Hailey and she smiled back as they sang a song together. As the song ended, the male bent over with the obvious intention to kiss Hailey, inciting a roar from the crowd. Turning her head to the side, Hailey pushed the male away and said something that made him laugh.

James heard something snap. Realizing he was holding the organizer tightly enough that he'd cracked the case, he loosened his grip and placed the sleek device down next to him. He tried to identify his behavior and concluded he was experiencing jealousy. He was fully aware why, knew exactly when everything had changed; it had been the moment when he'd found Hailey swimming.

His final walls had crumbled to pieces as he'd retrieved her lifeless body from the river. Thankfully, she hadn't been lifeless but merely unconscious as a result of the immense amount of psychic power she'd exuded. Even though her vitals had seemed within normal range, he'd made the decision to carry her back to her cabin to retrieve an M-Psy.

And when she'd woken her body had curled into his, and he'd been reluctant to release her. Then she'd called him by his first name for the first time, instead of needling him by calling him 'milord' or 'Lord Addison'. James could still recall the way his body had hummed at the whispered way she'd spoken, the intimacy of it crashing into him harder than a punch. That had been a major indicator of his broken Silence, but once he had felt her soft, curvy body against his, he hadn't cared. The memory of her silken skin rubbing against his, her hand on his chest… it still made heat rush through his veins. All he wanted was to touch her again, to hear her say his name again.

From the moment he'd met her, something had stirred in the darkness that was his blood-drenched soul. Greed tore through his shields, longing to take what he desired. In the beginning he'd fought the fractures in his Silence and tried to deny the compulsive pull towards her. That had resulted in constant conflicts between them, amplifying the characteristics of Hailey he felt drawn to–her light, her strength. But now her training was getting more physical and the clawing need in him urged him to push, to act on his desires.

It was the one thing he couldn't allow himself to do.

He reminded himself why he had chosen not to let Aden eliminate all the dissonance controls set in his mind. Letting the darkness out of control would only lead to death and destruction. It wasn't a question; it was a fact. James could not and would not allow that to happen.

Staring at Hailey's cabin in the distance, he watched the light switch off. He picked up the organizer again and leaned into the cold stone of the rocks at his back. Absently taking note of the picture on the main screen–Hailey smiling at a tall brunette as they stood at the edge of a group of teenagers with tuxedos and dresses–James found a folder called 'Guilty Pleasures'.

He couldn't have her, but maybe he could at least keep a part of her behind his impenetrable shields. Because that was what they were meant to be: impenetrable.

Even for her.

He pressed 'play', closed his eyes and listened until the sunrise.

Hailey woke after a fitful night. After twisting and turning in her bed for hours, she got up and decided to do her martial arts routine in the small living area to redirect her thoughts. Two hours and a short shower later, she'd finally been able to sleep. She was painfully aware why she was so restless now and had been the past couple of months.

_Stinging spikes in her head. A thousand pictures rapidly passing by. The scent of iron filling the air. _

Sighing, she forced herself to get out of bed and wash her face in the bathroom, the cold water doing nothing to lessen the dark bruises underneath her eyes. After quickly brushing her teeth she combed through her tangled hair. Tying it into a ponytail, she got dressed in leggings, a tank top and an oversized hooded sweatshirt. Flipping the hood over her head, she went to the kitchen to grab an apple and walked out of her cabin towards the outdoor training field.

The dew-laden grass made crisp sounds underneath her black canvas sneakers as she walked towards the outer corner of the field. Finishing the apple, she used a bit of her Tk to throw the remnants into the wooded area behind the field. A small smile appeared on her face at the idea of having utilized her Tk so little during the everyday course of her life. It actually could come in pretty useful under a diverse set of circumstances, some she hadn't even thought of, like using telekinesis to enhance her motions.

She could tell her body was changing due to the rigorous training schedule. At first her muscles had ached, but she'd refused to bitch about it. No way she'd give James another opening to bash her. But now she felt stronger, her body sleeker, even though she remained sweetly curvaceous. That probably wouldn't change anytime soon.

James had apparently already been at their meeting spot, a backpack, bottle of water and her organizer lying neatly on a training mat. Hailey picked up her organizer and smiled at the picture that appeared on the screen; it was of last year's summer gala. Hailey had been on bar duty together with her friend and colleague Aiseline when some of the kids had hauled them in for a quick picture.

Feeling lighter at the memory, she noticed her playlist was open. Color flushed her cheeks as she noticed her 'Guilty Pleasures' folder was currently queuing in the bar on the side of the screen. The folder contained the most random collection of sugary-sweet love songs, movie scores and other hits that were complete rubbish, but lovely to indulge in from time to time.

Embarrassment flooded over her as she thought about James hearing those silly songs. _No, he wouldn't, would he? That would be odd… _

Hailey shook off that thought as she picked a song and, after putting the volume low, pressed play. She placed the organizer down on the training mat, kicked off her shoes and started to do a warm-up routine, stretching her locked muscles. Several minutes into the routine, she started humming along to a song of never-ending friendship and love. The up-beat melody had her half dancing by the end of the song.

"Miss Logan." Hailey froze at James' blade of a voice, slicing through the cheery tunes. "Nice of you to join me. Next time, make sure you're on time."

She switched off the organizer and turned around to face James. Scowling as her heartbeat fluttered, she tried to fight her usual response towards him as her eyes ran over him. James looked the same as always: beautifully harsh features, tall and muscularly built. Only one thing seemed off. James' gaze slammed into her when she looked into his eyes, the bright azure vivid against the jet black of his pupils.

He closed the distance between them without breaking eye contact, his movements deadly graceful, almost alluring–if she didn't consider the fact that he could break her neck in two seconds.

And still, Hailey watched him silently; unable to tear away her gaze from the flow of his movements, her heartbeat accelerating with every step James took towards her. When he stopped, they almost stood toe-to-toe. She tipped her head up towards him as he reached out with both hands as if to cup her face. Shifting her eyes from his hands to meet his gaze again, she tried to ignore the organ that was rapidly thumping inside her chest.

James was watching her intensely, as if there was nothing else in this moment but the two of them. Hailey's stomach tightened in anticipation. Then his fingers closed around the fabric of her hood and he pushed it back.

His voice held a rugged edge. "You're not this vain, don't act like it." He drew away his hands.

No, she wasn't. But she was also aware she looked like crap due to the nightmares that kept on haunting her, leaving her sleep deprived. Feeling stupid for–once again–looking into James' behavior to see something different from what was _actually _there, Hailey chastised herself for what felt like the hundredth time.

_Stop trying to read into his behavior! He already told you he _doesn't_ feel. _Made of stone and unmovable like the snow-capped mountains at the edges of the valley.

Her gaze skidded away and she felt the need to step backward, to create distance. She stiffened when James suddenly gripped her chin and studied her face. His fingers felt cool on her skin but the contact made her warm from inside, raw desire burning deep within her body.

_Hailey Logan, repeat after me: I have self-respect! _

James' eyes lingered on the dark bruises underneath her eyes. "What happened?"

Feeling even more embarrassed since his apparent concern was only limited to what he was assigned to be interested in, she shrugged and muttered, "Nothing."

She couldn't believe how it was possible she made the same stupid mistake over and over. It was almost like she was doing it on purpose.

James' eyes flashed. "_Hailey._"

One word. A warning.

Hailey felt her stomach tighten in response to the deep timbre of his voice. Swallowing past the dryness in her throat, she shook her head and pushed away James' hand so he'd release her. "Why do you care?" She bit out the words, unable to stand his touch while she knew all too well he was out of her reach.

James studied her face one more time, then nodded. "Fine." Curt, quick and clean, like the cut of a knife.

_Repeat it, Hales! I have freakin' self-respect! _

She clenched her jaw and looked away.

His voice snapped her back to attention. "It seems the assessment of your Tk level is wrong. You're in the high range, around 8 on the Gradient, rather than equipped with a minor Tk skillset. I suspect it always has been that high, but your lack of use and training made it less apparent."

Hailey raised her eyebrows at the sudden change in topic. "Okay." Maybe that helped explain what had happened a few months ago. The information didn't necessarily make her feel any different; she still needed training to get a stronger hold on her Tk. "What now?"

"Sparring, you and me." His tone was still clipped.

Hailey bit her lower lip before looking up at him again. "I have no idea how to do anything like that."

"You've been working on the martial arts routine and you've studied the classes numerous times. Use that knowledge."

Hailey was clueless how to put her observations into practice but she wasn't going to let that stop her from trying. She'd seen enough action movies to cross-reference her vivid imagination with her newly regained skills. Who knew? Maybe this was something she was good at.

"Pull your punches and kicks. Focus. We start slow," James said.

Hailey squared her shoulders and waited for James to step back before putting her hands up in a defensive move. Sparring equaled physical contact. She wasn't sure if she'd be a–

_Oh!_

James lunged at her.

Shutting down her thoughts, Hailey managed to avoid his first hit by ducking, then came up and tried to hit his shoulder. James proved to be far too fast for her to counter as he kicked her legs out from under her. Falling face-front on the mat, she barely broke her fall with her arms.

_Well, there goes your hope of finding something you're good at. _

She scowled–partially at the sneering voice in her mind but mostly at James–and sat up. "You said we would go slow!" her voice pitched a little higher than usual.

He looked at her with extreme disinterest. "That _was_ slow."

"Bullshit." Hailey clenched her jaw as she stood up.

_God, this man is infuriating! Arrogant and presumptuous. And rude, let's not forget that bit. _

James put one arm behind his back. "Once more. Use your Tk in your movements."

Running towards him, Hailey acted purely on instinct. Slipping to her knees rather than jumping up, she pushed herself along with the use of her telekinesis. She placed a hand on the ground to lift her lower body and hooked her legs behind his. But as soon as she would have made a move to topple him over, James clasped one hand on her shoulder as the other locked around her wrist. He pushed her off balance and made her fall face-front again, while tilting her arm in the air without straining it. Holding her in place with the hand he kept on her shoulder, he lightly pressed her down onto the mat.

The contact made Hailey's heart slam inside her chest and she gritted her teeth as she mentally slapped herself for thinking stupid thoughts again. With the side of her face resting on the mat, she inwardly counted to ten in an attempt to keep a hold on her temper. She drew in a deep breath and blew a loose tendril of hair out of her face… but she couldn't help herself. James was pushing her so much; she couldn't _not_ respond.

"Well now," she sneered, "I never took you for someone who'd take pleasure in doing the hot and sweaty in such a dominant, primal position. Though, maybe that's what being made of stone simply does to a man." Unable to look over her shoulder, she tapped her free hand on the mat twice. James let go of her wrist while his other hand slid from her shoulder to her nape. She felt the air crackle around her as every tiny hair on her body rose.

Then James bent over and spoke softly right next to her ear, his breath caressing her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. "Don't go there."

Hailey rolled onto her back after he released her–her heartbeat not nearly as much under control as she'd like it to be–and looked up at his tall frame towering over her. "What? You're Silent but you get flustered and awkward when I mention sex?" She hopped up into a defensive stand. "Once more, Lord Addison."

His expression had never looked so dangerous. Hailey's toes curled in her shoes at the anticipation of sparring with him again.

_Ha! All you want to do is spar with him in the bedroom. _

In a flash James came at her. She was able to block his first two strikes by using her Tk to speed up her movements. A tap to her leg made her falter, but she used her Tk to steady herself as she crouched and swiped her leg against his. James was out of reach before she could make contact. He tried to clutch her shoulder, but Hailey acted quickly and did a back handspring, kicking her legs up into the air and using her Tk to push herself higher.

James' eyes seemed to spark when she landed in a crouched position and faced him, locks of hair escaping her ponytail and kissing the sides of her face.

She shrugged as she pushed the loose tendrils back. "Four years of gymnastics," Hailey explained while holding up her fists again.

The way James was looking at her made her feel a little unsettled. Arching an eyebrow, she decided needling him would stop her mind from going to places it wasn't supposed to go. "Are you scared to take me on now you know I can do a cartwheel?"

"Remind me not to underestimate you again," he said as his eyes gleamed. He looked every inch the dangerous assassin when he straightened his stance.

Hailey spluttered out a laugh, the conversation drawing away her attention from keeping her guard up. "That would require a full-time job."

James pounced on her so quickly, she squeaked out a small cry. Then he grabbed her shoulder, swiveled her around and held one arm braced in front of her throat as the other hand locked her wrists behind her back. It all happened _so fast_, Hailey barely had time to blink.

She felt his muscular body pressing hard against her back and lower curves as he switched his hold. Releasing her hands and curling his arm around her waist, he held her arms trapped in between them. Her palms touched the bottom of his stomach, the ridged lines of his muscles apparent as her fingers skimmed the hem of his t-shirt.

Hailey's heartbeat thudded fast enough to leave her panting, her breasts pushing up with each shallow breath. Never in a million years could she have guessed that James would choose to contain her in such an intimate hold after the way he rejected her. Admittedly, there wasn't necessarily a link between the contradictory way he was handling her right now and him experiencing emotions. A chokehold was simply one of the many ways in which he might choose to incapacitate an opponent.

_Right?_

Yet when he started speaking, Hailey severely started doubting her rational explanation of his intensity.

"Lack of focus." The vibration of his deep voice resonated through her body, the hum of his words like music to her ears. "Why do you never listen to me?" The question sounded intimate, his lips lightly touching the top of her ear as he spoke. Electricity seemed to shoot through her body at the contact, pulsing over her skin. She drew in a sharp breath as she felt her breasts swell.

_No, no, NO! Stop, before you hurt yourself even more…_

Again, Hailey couldn't help herself. The pull towards him was still so strong, she was unable to push herself away. Tilting her head back, she leaned against his chest as she inhaled the scent of oak moss and sandalwood. She wanted to clench her fists, but belatedly realized her hands were still trapped between their bodies. Her fingers flexed a little, slightly brushing past the hem of his shirt on to the smooth skin of his stomach. Heat surged through her veins at the accidental intimate caress and suddenly, Hailey couldn't stop her mind from picturing him. Naked.

On top of her. Underneath her. Behind her.

A shiver ran up her spine.

God, she wanted to touch him bad… Would he let her? Would he be as eager to stroke every inch of her skin as she was to touch his?

_Of course not!_

In her fantasies he was. He'd be as demanding as he was on the training field, as intense as she knew him to be in every interaction. As rough and strong as he was during every session. And she'd enjoy every bit of his possessive, muscular body driving into her.

Shuddering at that very vivid image, Hailey felt the place between her legs grow hot and damp. She was barely aware of pressing her thighs together but snapped out of her daydream when the movement made her butt rub against his crotch. Heat rushing to her cheeks, Hailey licked her dry lips. She looked up and saw James' pupils dilate, which made even more erotic images come to mind.

Unable to lie to him, even if she'd embarrass herself again, she answered truthfully. "I don't listen because you send mixed signals and you know they make me respond."

Thunder shuddered through the valley the instant James looked at her lips, and he suddenly released her.

Stumbling when the solid wall of his body disappeared, Hailey nearly fell. When she found her balance, she turned around to face James and saw his eyes were pure black. No irises. No whites. Frowning, she walked towards him, reaching out with her hand. "Are you oka–"

"Don't." He cut her off before she could finish her sentence. Hailey paused midway, her hand falling to her side and curling up into a fist.

"We're done for today," James said, and turned to grab his backpack.

Anger replaced the numbing feeling Hailey had been having for the past days. She wasn't letting him off the hook this easily. She ran towards James and grabbed his arm to get his attention.

Lightning flashed as rain began to drizzle.

James jerked and wrenched his arm free.

"Hey, you don't get to walk away! Not after all the shit you pulled on me!" Hailey said.

Another crash of thunder, this one louder.

"You don't get to decide what I do." It was a pitiless comment from the cold, ruthless soldier in front of her.

_Wow. _

Taken aback by his frigid tone, Hailey backed off a step. Then understanding dawned on her, replacing the stinging sensation his rebuffing comment had left her with.

"You're scared." Her soft words lingered between them, the sound of falling raindrops surrounding them as they glared at each other.

"I'm Silent," James said flatly. "I don't feel fear. You're reading into things that are simply not there."

Hailey felt anger uncurl inside her once again, the seams of her heart tearing even further. "Stop lying to me!" She realized she was raising her voice but didn't care. "And stop lying to yourself!" Fire surged through her veins. "You felt annoyed when I mentioned sex and you're scared now because you're losing control!" And when his control slipped, glimpses of the man James really was appeared. And that man parried her verbal strikes, was unquestionably intelligent, made her laugh with his dry comments and was a good listener.

_Stop reading into his behavior! You just want to feel as if you matter… _

Telling the little voice inside her head to shut up did nothing to stop the gnawing sense of insecurity Hailey felt towards James. He could be harsh but he never let the opportunity slide to take her on. He never treated her like a dim-witted little princess or a porcelain doll–and that was fine with her, because that meant he saw her strength and believed her a worthy opponent.

A lot of men Hailey had met found her witty and charming at first, only to get annoyed or discouraged down the line because she was very direct in her interactions. Hailey always knew what she wanted and it turned out a lot of men were uninterested in being with a woman they couldn't continuously control.

But James hadn't rejected her because of who she was. He'd rejected her because he claimed to be Silent.

It didn't even necessarily mean they should be in a romantic relationship together. Regardless of his standoffish behavior, James had an agile mind and could say useful and insightful things–when he wasn't pissing her off. Aside from that, Hailey understood fully why he'd been assigned as her mentor. He was a good teacher and let her fend for herself so she could develop and focus the strength coming from inside her, boosting her confidence in her abilities.

_When he wasn't acting like a stubborn mule. _

Like right now.

And at that exact moment, Hailey knew she cared for him, just like she cared about the Arrow students.

_Ha! Who are you kidding? You don't want to kiss your students. You _do_ want to tangle with this serious and intense soldier._ She slammed the unhelpful voice in her head down.

"Contrary to what you believe, I have no interest in sex. Not everyone is as sexually minded as you are."

Hailey stiffened.

No, he couldn't have read her thoughts…_ Right? _God, that would be _so_ awkward.

"What are you talking about?" And how was this conversation suddenly about her?

James eyes were still entirely black as he stepped closer to her, close enough that Hailey had to arch back her head to meet the onyx of his gaze. When he spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet. "Maybe you shouldn't interact with other men the way you've been doing if someone is waiting for you when you return from your stay here. I don't believe he would appreciate it."

Relief was a tidal wave through her system. _Thank God. He didn't read your mind just now. _

Then his words sank in, and Hailey grasped what James was insinuating. Only a few things had ever rendered her speechless, but this…? She couldn't find the words to explain the turn this conversation had taken, which made her response extremely articulate. "Wh… what?"

Shivering, Hailey hugged herself, suddenly feeling cold under James' stare. "What are you talking about?" she repeated. Her breath formed small clouds in the air as icy raindrops splattered on her face. She frowned, aware by now that James was causing the change in weather with his Tk, using it to slow down the air molecules, causing the cold.

"Could you stop doing that?" Irritation seeped into her voice, annoyed and hurt by his behavior because he was clearly _lying_ to her about being Silent. She instantly crushed the hope growing in her heart.

_No. Just because he might not be Silent doesn't mean he's interested in you._

The rain and cold disappeared the next instant and James' eyes slowly faded to normal, his jaw a tight line and the tendons of his wrists and forearms standing out stark against his golden skin. "You have a class to teach," he said as he turned and walked away again.

Confused, Hailey let him go. She picked up her organizer, rubbed it dry with her sleeve, slid her feet in her sneakers and strode back to her cabin, replaying James' quiet words in her mind.


	12. Chapter 10

10

Hailey had just finished teaching her class and was walking towards the large hall at the back of the facility to grab something to eat.

Most children ate with their guardians in their family units but since the Arrows had rotating schedules, the common area had been built so there always was a place where they could come together. Since it was close to lunchtime, the hall was busy. Arrows of different ages and ranks sat eating at the various sized tables throughout the big room. The teenagers seemed to prefer the setting. Hailey understood why; the common area was set up somewhat like a high school cafeteria.

Hailey walked over to the counter to grab a plate. The first day of her arrival she'd been scared she'd have to eat the flavorless nutrition bars Psy ate for the rest of her stay here. That assumption proved to be false. There was a surprising amount of different types of food to choose from for each meal, although the choices remained dishes without complex flavors.

There weren't any chefs to man the kitchen just yet, though she'd heard from one of the teenagers they did have dishwashing duty. Having a few teleport capable Tks around to bring in food seemed to be a big plus until the Squad could train someone able to handle the different flavors and textures of the food required.

Choosing an apple and a slice of bread with cheese, Hailey walked with her plate to one of the empty tables and sat down. Since her class was progressing to the point where a small amount of acting would pull the teenagers out of their comfort zone but not to the extent where it would cause a setback in their learning curve, Hailey thought about an exercise where the students would have to depict different occupations. She scribbled some lines in her notebook while mentally running through a list of jobs. Even though she was working, her mind kept going over the events of the past few days.

After ten minutes of staring blankly at the others in the common area, Hailey still couldn't figure out what exactly had happened between her and James this morning. Looking in her notebook, she saw she had barely written down six sentences. Frustrated, she slid her notebook in her backpack and started eating.

"Miss Logan, would you mind if I sit here?"

Hailey looked up into green eyes and smiled. "No, of course not, Robin. Come join me." She pursed her lips when Robin put down his tray and slid in his seat. "And, please, call me Hailey. My formal title makes me feel old," she said with a grin.

Robin blinked and inclined his head in acquiescence.

During lunch Hailey asked Robin about his background and his abilities. It turned out Robin had been in the 'care' of the Squad since he was eight, his abilities powerful enough that even the specialized training he had attended hadn't sufficed to harness his abilities.

"Because my telepathy has always been so refined, I could use it to slip the telepathic leash my parents had put into place." A gleam in his eyes. "I lived with my family and would wait until my parents were asleep, and then wake my older brother and nephew to climb out of the window and watch the stars."

Hailey smiled at the childlike innocence and understood that even under the Silence Protocol, emotions had been present. Three boys reaching out to each other, strengthening their bond wasn't exactly a great example of Silence.

"Sometimes we'd run off during the nights to go to the playground near our housing unit. My father once walked around the entire neighborhood to search for us, but once he realized the playground was our hang-out spot, he came to the playground straight away when we were missing."

Hailey heard tinges of longing in Robin's voice, the affection for his family clear.

"One night we sat on the swings and were discussing something so intensely, we weren't paying attention to our surroundings. All of a sudden, a shadow stood in front of us." A small pause as Robin stared at his empty plate. "I blasted out a telepathic burst that was strong enough to incapacitate the threat."

He looked straight at her; his pale eyes stormy with emotion. "It was my father. He came looking for us and when he startled us, I caused his brain to hemorrhage so badly, he lost the use of the left side of his body."

Hailey felt her heart clench for the boy sitting across from her.

_How many others have experienced similar situations? How many others unintentionally hurt people?_

Hailey grimaced internally.

_You're not as different from them as you believed._

Robin's quiet voice broke through her thoughts. "That's when I was claimed for the Squad. My mother didn't want me to go, but I didn't want to harm her as well." He looked up at Hailey. "And now I assist the trainers, helping them teach the smaller children with telepathic abilities."

Hailey reached out and touched the back of Robin's hand. He froze for a second and glanced at her.

"You're not a bad person because of what happened, Robin. You had to leave your family and isolate yourself from the world in order to protect others. That's a sacrifice a lot of people would have never made." Passion colored her voice. "I'm proud of you for taking control of your destiny now. Proud that, even under Silence, you didn't lose that part of yourself."

Lifting her hand from his after squeezing it lightly, Hailey saw Robin's cheeks slightly redden.

"Hi, Robin." Several curious eyes watched her. "Miss Logan." A group of teenage Arrows stood at their table. Some Hailey knew from her classes, others were new faces.

Hailey smiled in response.

"Can we join you?"

Hailey looked at Robin, giving him the opportunity to respond to his peers.

"Yes," the green-eyed boy said, and Hailey felt hope unfurl in the confused mess that was her heart.

At the end of the day Hailey was beat. After lunch she went through her training routine, then went for a jog around the facility, trying to focus her Tk. After dinner she'd agreed to help the teenagers with their dishwashing chores the next day. When she asked them why the dishwashing units in the kitchen weren't used, the teenagers told her it was part of their routine. Aden had assigned it for the purpose of bonding over the chore. Hailey had smiled and approved of the simple yet effective strategy.

It had been a good day, but still it felt like something was missing. Part of it, Hailey knew, was because she couldn't fully relax since her powers had turned erratic. Another part of it… well, she didn't want to go there right now.

Hailey entered the cabin, undressed quickly and pulled on some pajama pants and a tank top. She switched off all the lights in the cabin and walked to the bedroom.

After having settled on the bed, Hailey grabbed her organizer from the small nightstand and switched it on. The blue-white light filled the bedroom with a soft glow. She frowned when she saw the music bar of the up-beat girly song she'd listened to this morning. Then she opened her music settings and searched for the 'recently played' list.

_Oh God! _

She was appalled to see that besides some of her favorite 'Guilty Pleasure' songs, different clips of her at _Doctors' Order_–her local pub–had recently been watched. And she knew for certain _she_ hadn't opened the videos in the recent past. She searched for the info by swiping through the menu and noticed the date and time stamps.

"No," she whispered in disbelief. "No way, he wouldn't have done that."

Then one of the clips drew her attention. She pressed play and watched her karaoke performance with Matt, an acquaintance of hers and a friend of Shane.

Hailey had known Shane Austin since high school, and they had been best friends ever since Hailey had tutored him. Shane was terrible at calculus and physics, but with Hailey's help he'd managed to get some good grades and apply to a prestigious college after high school.

He'd protected her like she was his sister and she loved coming over to his place, where his father and much younger brother Morgan always welcomed her into their home. Hailey's bond with the Austin brothers was strong and visible in the ShadowNet as thick jade and green threads, the connection with Shane a little stronger than the connection to Morgan.

Since Shane was a couple of years older than Hailey, he'd graduated before her. Even when Shane had gone off to college and Hailey still attended high school, they had remained in frequent contact.

It was in college where Shane had met Matt, Hailey now remembered, and Matt was also a Forgotten member by his fathers' lineage. Hailey didn't care much for Matt, but that particular night he'd asked her to sing karaoke together and she'd agreed. She hadn't even known that someone had filmed them until Shane had sent her the clip.

Hailey kept watching the recording and froze when she saw the ending. She'd forgotten the way she'd threatened to strangle Matt after he tried to kiss her on stage. The idiot had probably thought she was easy, just like most girls he picked up when he tagged along with Shane. But that wasn't what the recording showed.

No, it showed Matt leaning in, her pushing him away and saying something that made him laugh… then the recording cut off.

And Hailey understood exactly why James had acted so peculiar.


	13. Chapter 11

11

I've received two reports from other Arrows noticing differences in his behavior. I also saw their sparring session yesterday. They were fighting afterwards. She actually managed to break through. I've never seen him act like this. He's one of the most controlled Arrows we have.

Good. If confrontation is the only way for him to break away from his past, so be it.

It could prove to be dangerous if he loses control.

He'll stabilize over time. She'll never be at risk; he's too protective of her. He won't listen when I speak with him. Maybe he'll listen if she's yelling at him.

I'm surprised you managed to persuade him in the first place.

Neither of them is forced. And even though they argue, both of them are too stubborn to pull back. He'll never request a transfer and she hasn't asked you for another mentor. I never intended or expected this outcome, but I'm glad it's happening.

You're a dangerous man.

-Telepathic conversation between Zaira Neve and Aden Kai

James thrust his hand through his wet hair after taking a quick, ice-cold shower. He looked at his reflection. Hard, bright blue eyes stared back at him. He closed his eyes and rested his hands on the sink. Immediately his thoughts went to the one person he wouldn't permit himself to think about; not in the way that would require another cold shower.

Looking up at his reflection again, he saw faint signs of fatigue marking his face. Though he could pull shifts lasting up to seventy-two hours straight if necessary, he'd never experienced the same amount of restlessness as he had the past night.

This wasn't the first cold shower he'd taken since his training round with Hailey yesterday morning. No, this was the seventh time he'd tried to shut down his bodily responses. It was as if a feverish heat took hold of him every time he remembered Hailey's soft curves pressed against him, her eyes flashing at him in defiance.

He couldn't forget the way she'd looked at him, the way her skin had flushed and her pulse had risen. Her head turning upward toward him while leaning into his chest, her fingers touching his lower abdomen…

Shuddering, James focused on a mental exercise but he already knew it wouldn't lessen his desire for her. Even though he'd gone entirely cold on her, the sheer magnetism between them hadn't disappeared. After two days of flat responses, Hailey had finally showed her true self again. And he hadn't been able to stop himself from pushing her again.

_She still thinks about you._

It wasn't a question; it was a certainty.

He'd lost his cool the moment Hailey had gotten away from him by her little acrobatic performance during their sparring session. He'd held her in a gentle chokehold and she'd accidentally shared her thoughts with him for a second time.

James had been stunned by the content of the images that had rushed through his mind. Her thoughts had taken him by complete surprise, both of them naked, _touching_.

_His hands on her waist, sliding upward towards her bare breasts, molding them, discovering the weight and softness of her. _

_Her shallow breath tickling against the skin of his shoulder as her fingertips ran over his back._

_Her warm mouth on his, his fingers digging into the flesh of her thighs. _

_Her tongue licking out at the skin of his chest, her hands possessively stroking his sides and down…_

He had almost lost control and took what he wanted from her then and there.

James snapped himself out of the tangle of images and glanced up at his mirror image. If the images kept messing with his mind, he wouldn't be able to function and do his job–and that was unacceptable. He had to keep his mind from skidding towards them, because he already knew the flashes of images that came next, and they made the extreme intimacy of the first set literally and figuratively foreplay.

The mere suggestion of Hailey's thoughts made his head spin. He had _no idea_ how to handle everything she'd accidentally shown him. The showers hadn't helped much, but James was utterly clueless what else he could do to stop his body from responding as it had done several times. Like right now. And most of the night.

Inhaling deeply, he quickly put on his standard uniform of black cargo pants, a t-shirt and a jacket of laser proof material. He assessed his mental state on the PsyNet as he sat down on the side of his bed, strapping his boots on while testing the traps and triggers he'd put in place on the psychic plane. They were most useful against intruders and hackers, one of the few good things he learned from former Squad leader Ming LeBon.

Finished with his boots, he placed his hands on his thighs and checked his outer shields. They were strong, dark and gleaming. Good.

But when James looked at his internal shields, his breathing froze for an instant. Jagged cracks marked the shields of his once so Silent mind, like someone had thrown a plascrete brick at a glass wall. He immediately tried anything and everything he could to repair them, but after half an hour of intense focus he realized the damage was too advanced to fix. And he was fully aware why.

_Hailey sitting on his lap with a playful smile as he clenched his fingers on her bottom, his teeth sinking in her neck. _

_Her back arching as she lowered herself on top of–_

No.

He just needed distraction from his current mind-set, that was all. James mentally reached out to one of the members of his team. _Need any help?_

Aaron responded almost immediately. _As a matter of fact, yes. We're about to go on a training mission with the younger recruits._

_I'll join you in ten_, he said.

When James left his room, he decided to grab some breakfast in the common area. Just as he walked past a couple of family units, he heard Hailey's husky laugh. He closed his eyes briefly as the sound washed over him, causing something to spike in his chest. A throbbing sensation in his head made him aware of the dissonance kicking in.

And even though he knew it was unwise to linger after the events that had passed yesterday, he couldn't stop himself. Glancing around the corner of one of the houses, he saw Hailey lying in the grass with two of the youngest Arrows, her guitar in the hands of the small boy.

She was showing them something on her organizer and smiled to a question the little girl asked, answering while touching the tip of her index finger to the little girl's nose. Then she animatedly started moving her hands to the lyrics of what seemed to be a children's rhyme about a shark. The toddler boy started clapping after she was done and inched closer.

Hailey sat up in a cross-legged position and placed each of the children on one of her legs before lifting the guitar. She nuzzled the hair of the little boy briefly and started singing.

Her song was soft and soothing as she helped the children position their hands correctly on the instrument. The husky, enticing melody of her voice made the hairs on James' arms and neck rise.

_His hand fisting her hair, her eyes blazing jade with hunger as she bent over and kissed him. _

_Her deep moan, gasping his name as he moved inside her, faster, harder, deeper._

He caught himself mid-motion as he was moving towards her out of unconscious volition. The blinding spike of dissonance searing through his spinal cord was the only thing that stopped him from closing the distance. He swiftly moved around the corner of the building when Hailey's head snapped up.

_Idiot_, he chastised himself as he wiped away the trickle of blood coming from his right ear. This was hardly the way to strengthen his shields enough to be able to interact with her on an emotionally distant level. James shook his head and thrust a hand through his still-damp hair. All the years of control, gone at the sound of her voice.

He glanced at his watch and saw he was almost running late.

_Yes, you really need the distraction._

He jogged in the direction of the training center for recruits before he made a decision he couldn't turn back from.

Hailey's day had been relatively relaxed. James wasn't in the valley and Hailey had no classes to teach since the youngsters were on a training mission. In the morning she'd done some babysitting, making music and cuddling with two cute Arrow toddlers.

Ravi and Abigail were twins of only three years old, both promising to become powerful telekinetics. Their mother was staying in the valley as well, having requested the Squad permission to stay with her babies after she'd discovered how dangerous her twins were; during a squabble, they'd caused the heating unit of their kitchen to explode.

Being a mid-level Tk herself, their mother had been able to avert most of the blast. Now, two weeks after the incident, she was still healing from the burns, having taken the bulk of the blow to her lower back when she'd physically shielded her children.

Hailey's amount of respect for the twins' mother couldn't be expressed in words. How she'd sacrificed herself for her children was _powerful_ and spoke of deep-rooted love. Ravi and Abigail were unable to do any harm now; they were shielded by an Arrow in a similar fashion as James was shielding Hailey.

Hailey had used her new skills and focus to play with the twins, using water to form bubbles for them to chase, and attempting to slow down the air molecules enough for the water to turn into snow. Surprisingly, her attempt had succeeded at the second try, to the gleeful laughter of the small children when she'd showered them in soft white powder snow. She'd adored them even more for pulling sad faces when it was time for her to go, their baby-soft hands padding her cheeks when she'd cuddled them before leaving.

During the afternoon she went through her martial arts routine, frustrated that she still couldn't get every move right even as she gained more control over her Tk. After running two laps around the facility and surrounding forests, showering and preparing some classes, her eyes flicked to the digital display to see it was almost dinnertime.

Hailey grabbed her organizer and walked over to the common eating area, where she ate dinner with some of the Arrow soldiers she hadn't met before. It was intriguing to her to observe how differently each one of the Squad members responded to the post-Silence regime. Some Arrows had embraced their emotions in such a natural way that Hailey didn't know how they ever could have been Silent. Others reminded her very much of James; tightly in control of their abilities and emotional responses. It couldn't be easy living in the world under its current circumstances after following the Silence Protocol for decades.

"What are you up to tonight?" The question was asked by a tall, blond-haired and blue-eyed woman named Isobel, who was part of the Arrows' communication team.

Earlier, Isobel had told Hailey she was a powerful telepath with minor E-abilities. The latter was probably the reason why Isobel was very much in touch with her emotions; not a trace of Silence was visible in the way the gentle woman interacted with others. It also made Hailey wonder how Isobel had managed to survive her time with the Squad. It was rumored empaths couldn't harm others without feeling a backlash of emotions. Therefore, the brutal Arrow training and missions must have been an excruciating experience.

"I'm not sure," Hailey answered. "I think I'm going to rile up the dishwashing crew a little with this." She gestured towards her organizer. "Maybe some music can make the chore a little more fun and enhance the bonding between the kids."

Isobel's eyes gleamed as she smiled. "I'll help you."

After dinner, Isobel and Hailey walked to the kitchens and greeted the youngsters armed with sponges and dishwashing brushes. Hailey chose a cheerful rock song and pressed play, putting the volume to the maximum.

"Let's do this!" she called out to a smiling Isobel, as she started dancing and grabbed a sponge.

The teenagers looked a little flustered but followed their lead and started doing their assigned chores. Hailey sang along to one of her favorite songs as she half danced, half washed a plate. When she turned around, she saw the teenagers and Isobel staring at her.

Feeling a little uneasy at unintentionally being in the spotlight, Hailey grabbed a handful of foam and threw it at the children.

When someone stopped the foam from hitting Isobel by using Tk, Hailey grabbed another hand full and sneaked over to Han, who was staring intently at the glob floating in the air. She put the foam in her hands on top of his sleek, dark hair and it drizzled over the glossy mass, water dripping down his neck. Han lost his concentration and the floating foam continued its trajectory and hit Isobel on the arm.

Isobel laughed out loud and Hailey grinned.

The next instant, there was water and foam _everywhere, _while the music kept booming through the kitchen. Some teenagers were throwing sponges around; others used their abilities and fighting skills to throw, block and dodge the soft projectiles. In the meantime, Hailey saw smaller children joining their water-fight, throwing sponges at older children as Isobel picked one of them up to avoid some foam. When someone grabbed a bucket filled with water and threw it over Hailey's head, she squeaked and laughed, meting out retaliation by using her Tk and dousing the offending teenager in foam.

After a while, Hailey noticed that a group of adult Arrows were standing in the double doorway of the kitchen. Yes, they probably had drawn some attention since they were being really loud.

_And being loud and playing is _so good_ for these kids._

Grinning as she watched the spectacle around her, Hailey grabbed her organizer and pressed 'pause'. The music instantly stopped, as did the teenagers and children, their heads snapping up.

Hailey pitched her voice low and loud, making the last of the mischievous smaller children look up to her in attention.

"All right everyone, this was a lot of fun, but we still have a chore to finish." She looked around the water-drenched kitchen and grimaced. "Well, actually we have two chores now."

That made some of the teenagers smile slightly as others solemnly nodded.

Together with Isobel, Hailey assigned the children different chores.

All the plates were neatly stacked on the counter as the cutlery was divided into different containers, ready to be used again tomorrow. Using dishcloths, the kids dried off the cupboards and countertops, as one of the teenagers grabbed a mop to clean the floor. Hailey was cleaning some of the windows with one of the toddlers on her hip, letting him hold the rag and helping him reach the higher parts of the window.

Less than an hour later, the kitchen was spotless.

After waving the children goodbye, she said to Isobel, "You told me you have to get up early tomorrow for your meeting with the EmNet people. Go ahead and get some rest, I want to check out some of the appliances here." Hailey waggled her eyebrows. "Maybe I can cook a mean dish that will tempt even the more Silent ones of your brethren."

That got her a full out smile from the gentle, tall woman. "I'll see you tomorrow," Isobel said.

As Isobel walked off, Hailey opened several cupboards and checked out the settings on an oven. When she heard a soft rustling sound behind her, she smiled. "No, I'm not telling you what I'm going to cook."

Hailey turned around and jumped. She had expected to see Isobel, but instead, an unknown male stood in front of her. His copper skin, high cheekbones and dark brown hair made her think of South American influences in his genetic ancestry.

"Hi," she murmured. Her heart still pounded a fast rhythm, her hand splayed on her chest, warming the damp fabric of her shirt. "I thought you were Isobel."

He looked flatly at her and didn't respond to her remark. "What you teach them is wrong."

_Brown eyes._

Hailey's spine locked. His toneless voice made it clear this man was one of the Arrows still very much Silent.

Suppressing the shiver that ran up her body, Hailey reminded herself that everyone deserved a chance. After all, James had scared her when they'd first met, and her opinion of him had very much altered since that first meeting.

_But this man looks so much like– _

Hailey cut off the thought before it could take her over. _No. He's gone, _she reminded herself.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Hailey said as she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. "How about we go for a walk so we can talk about it?"

Hailey felt the need to take a step backward, to create some distance between this man and herself. The problem was, she already felt the countertop press against her back. To her left were several fridges standing neatly in a row. Having no door to her right and this man standing in front of her meant she was effectively blocked in.

Fear started growing inside her, her fingertips tingling, and she tried to fight the urge to show her emotions. Breathing quietly, she attempted to listen to the man talking–which was difficult due to the roaring sound of blood rushing in her ears.

"You shouldn't be here."

Even though he was only a little taller than Hailey was herself, the man in front of her was extremely intimidating. He was every inch the cold, dark assassin the Arrows were thought to be.

Heart slamming against her rib cage, Hailey couldn't think of a way to get out of this situation. About to yell for help, she suddenly felt a searing spike in her brain.

Collapsing to her knees, Hailey saw the man's dark eyes looking intently at her. She burst out a shot of Tk and heard crashing sounds, but before she could direct any object in the man's direction, she froze. A _shoving_ feeling in her head made her blood turn to ice, her breath catching in her throat.

_No!_

Hailey tried to fight through the nightmare that was choking her, tried remembering this wasn't the night when it all had started. Then another burning spike stabbed through her head. The sides of Hailey's vision started to blur and she heard a shrill sound as lights exploded above them. Only after it was quiet did Hailey realize it was _her_, that she'd screamed in the way of a trapped animal.

"Please, stop!" Hailey shouted as scratching tendrils clawed through her mind. Black spots appeared in front of her eyes as her teeth chattered. Another excruciating backlash of pain made her head arch backward. _Oh God! Please make it stop! _

Reaching out with every ounce of her powers, Hailey screamed again.


	14. Chapter 12

12

_HELP ME! _

The steel talons around James' heart gripped a fraction tighter as he ran toward the common area while using his Tk to the maximum. If the changeling leopards would have seen him, they would have thought he had semi-shifted.

Slamming open the door, he ran to the back, toward the kitchen area.

He'd just returned from the training mission with the teenagers, and after a short debrief with Aaron he'd had felt a developing headache. While walking to his private quarters, he'd realized it was a _knowing _pushing against the inside of his head and he _knew_ Hailey needed his help. He was already heading for the common area before her scream ripped through his mind.

James always found his F-abilities extremely useful in combat situations, even though he was a low-Gradient F, foresight being a secondary ability. Today, he found himself grateful but frustrated because he wasn't sure if he would make it to Hailey in time. She was danger, but he didn't know what he was going to find when he crashed through the doors of the kitchen.

Eyes scanning the space, he saw broken plates scattered throughout the room_._ The light fixtures in the plascrete ceiling had exploded and left the kitchen in shadows, a faint yellow sheen cast through the windows from the lights outside. Then he noticed two silhouettes in the dark. He could make out Hailey's form, lying face down in the back of the area, her hair fanned around her body… and someone was standing over her while staring intently at her.

Black rage flooded his system. James could feel his Tk unleashing, but he reined in the urge to kill as much as possible before focusing on his target. The attacker was smacked against a row of cupboards before he could so much as blink. Shards stabbed in James' frontal lobe, a sign of the dissonance warning him to restrain his emotions as he redirected his focus and encased Hailey in a protective shield.

James didn't care about the warning stabs in his mind. He _shoved _his Tk forward, applying extreme pressure on the attacker's body. As James walked toward the immobilized man, he recognized Edyson–a high-Gradient telepath.

"What did you do to her?" His voice was pure ice as he looked at the man pinned against the cupboards. This was his brother in arms, a man who was supposed to cover him in every fight. Betrayal and disgust surged through his being. The darkness inside roared at James to kill him, to kill the person that had dared to touch Hailey. He was only able to partly block those persistent shadows by using every lesson of his training.

"Look at what she's doing to you." Edyson's flat voice sounded thin as he tried to breathe past the pressure James was applying.

"Why does that matter to you?" James' voice was close to a growl as he pushed more. When Edyson made a small grunting sound, James released him a little. He wanted to know what Edyson had to say, wanted to understand what drove him to hurt Hailey.

"Your control is weak now, James. She makes you unstable and vulnerable. How can you proceed with your work for the Squad if others can't depend on you to control yourself?"

James had known Edyson for a long time, had trained with him in Bagdad, but he never thought Edyson would be capable of something like this. Capable of injuring an innocent civilian. Because regardless of Hailey's violent abilities, that was what she was. Innocent.

James lifted a shard of broken porcelain off the floor and stabbed it into Edyson's hand. "I think your assessment is wrong. I am neither weak," he pushed the shard in a little more in demonstration, leashing the shadows inside his mind that were urging him to destroy, "nor out of control." A sharp stab shot through James' mind, the difference noticeable from the extreme throbbing of the dissonance–Edyson's desperate attempt to incapacitate him.

"No, Edyson," James said as snapped the other man's wrist with his telekinesis. "You cannot win this fight."

Edyson let out another small grunt. "Finish this. I have no interest in becoming an undisciplined sword like yourself." Edyson's dark eyes met his. "She's made you this way. She's making the others change as well." His eyes skidded to Hailey. "She should have stayed where she came from. Maybe now she can return before causing more harm."

A cold shiver slithered over James' skin at that insinuation.

Smacking Edyson against the cupboards again to eliminate the threat of his telepathy, James rushed towards Hailey as Edyson's unconscious form fell to the white tiles. James dropped the Tk shield protecting her and turned Hailey over onto her back. He brushed damp tendrils of deep brown hair out of her face. Fury uncoiled in his body again at seeing her up close.

Even in the faint light, the bruise marking her right cheek and the blood smudging both sides of her face were obvious. When he touched her left ear, dark scarlet wetted his fingers. It covered the side of her jaw, and he could see the trail that had formed from her ear canal–a result of her brain fighting the invasion of telepathy.

"Hailey, wake up," he ordered.

When Hailey didn't respond, James acted quickly. He lifted her from the ground and cradled her against his chest. Just when he turned to run to the infirmary, Aden and Vasic appeared in the center of the kitchen.

Both men quickly took in the scene in front of them.

"Put her on the counter," Aden said.

Besides being a trained field medic, Aden had M-abilities. _Perhaps he will be able to assess the damage._

James lifted Hailey onto the countertop as Vasic walked to Edyson. Aden put his hands on both sides of Hailey's temples. James looked at his commander as Aden worked on Hailey and felt his anger turn into something different, the darkness stirring inside of him.

Thunder boomed overhead as flashes of lightning filled the kitchen.

Aden's head lifted, his keen eyes observing James. _The veins in your eyes have burst in response to the dissonance, _Aden said. _I know you've gotten some of the tripwires removed, but it isn't enough. _"We need to talk soon," Aden vocally added, his voice giving nothing away.

James said nothing in response to Aden's observations and focused his attention to Hailey. "How is she?"

Aden frowned a little. "I'm unsure. I can't telepathically reach her without using force."

James wondered how Hailey had been able to send a telepathic message to him for the third time. The fact that they'd connected the first time should have been impossible, since Hailey's telepathy was weak enough for it to be practically nonexistent. James had his suspicions about Hailey's abilities but hadn't worked out that part of it yet.

_I'm taking Edyson to the cells,_ Vasic telepathed to James. _Do you want to question him? _

James looked over his shoulder to the Arrows' second in command. "No. He has nothing useful to say."

Vasic nodded and teleported, taking the unconscious man with him.

James returned his attention to Aden. "Is there any damage?" He looked at the dark blood that had dripped out of Hailey's ears.

Aden took a handheld medical scanner out of his coat pocket and ran it over Hailey. "Her vitals seem to be steady. Heart rate is a little elevated and her blood pressure has risen but considering the circumstances that's hardly surprising." He looked at the scanner for some time before putting it away. James tried to breathe in a calm, regulated rhythm, but a heavy feeling filling his chest prevented him from falling back on his training.

Flashes lit the kitchen once more.

"I won't be able to assess if she's suffered any brain damage until she receives a full scan or until she wakes up," Aden said as he placed his hand on Hailey's forehead. He met James' gaze. "I will question Edyson about his motives."

James beat down his Tk as the shards of dissonance pressed harder in his head.

At some point, he had taken Hailey's small hand in his. He could feel the warmth of her skin, could hear her breathe. But being alive and being conscious were two different things entirely. He couldn't imagine her not being here, not talking to her, not seeing life in her jade and gold-flecked eyes.

"He wanted to eliminate her. He saw her as a threat to Silence, to the Squad," James gritted out.

Aden's gaze was hard. "I can't force the others to embrace emotions." He looked down at Hailey. "But what happened tonight can never happen again. I'll make sure the others know."

For the first time in his life, James didn't care about his brethren. The barbed wire around his heart tightened when he took in Hailey's face again. There was nothing he could do but wait until she woke.

_Wake up, Hailey. We're not done yet. _


	15. Chapter 13

13

By now, most of you are aware of the incident that has occurred last night.

Let it be clear to all Arrows that injuring or incapacitating others while justifying one's behavior as maintaining Silence will not be condoned in any shape or form. I will not permit the Squad to be crippled by lack of tolerance, regardless of your personal choice. Being an Arrow is to shield, to protect. Never to harm.

If there are any questions regarding the situation, you are welcome to speak with your superiors.

\- Telepathic message from Aden Kai to every Arrow over the age of 14

"She hasn't eaten anything yet." A female voice.

"But she's been awake?"

Hailey scowled. She knew that voice.

"Yes, but only for short periods of time. So far, her reflexes and reactions seem within acceptable parameters. The result of the scans turned out better than our initial prospects, but we can't tell if there's any long-term damage yet." That female voice again, her tone cold and factual.

_Damage? What damage? _And why did her head hurt so much?

A sting shot through Hailey's brains when she tried to open her eyes.

"When will you be able to assess the damage?" That male voice made things inside her stomach uncurl.

Hailey wanted to say something but her mouth felt like cotton and her throat was dry. _Why are they talking about you like you're not here? _

She tried to open her mouth.

Rustling sounded next to her. Hailey couldn't make out what it was and tried to open her eyes again. Another sharp sting in her head. A small whimper escaped her lips at the searing feeling in her mind.

"Wait." More rustling sounds. Cold, soft fingers on her wrist. "Her heart rate is accelerating."

Hailey tried to open her eyes again, the lids feeling heavy.

"Miss Logan? Can you open your eyes?" It was a question from the female.

Hailey scowled again. Yes, she was trying_._ She opened her eyes and closed them instantly, the bright lights painful. _God, that hurts!_

"Hailey." The familiar male spoke her name in such a demanding way, the fine hairs on her neck rose.

"Your bedside manner is terrible," she said. It came out like an odd and croaky whisper.

She opened her eyes slowly and blinked a couple of times.

Something poked against her lips.

"Miss Logan, you need to take in some fluids."

Her eyes focused on thebrunette dressed in a white shirt and white pants. The medic leaned forward. Hailey opened her mouth and took a few sips. Whatever it was, it tasted _great _against the dry feeling in her throat.

Hailey closed her eyes again, her head heavy and her mind foggy. She cleared her throat. "Why am I in a hospital?" She tried to think back to what happened and found… nothing.

"You were attacked."

Hailey turned her head to the left and winced when the sudden movement made her head throb. When she was able to open her eyes again, a man was towering over her.

_A tall, blond man. Deep voice, harsh words. The feeling of his big hands on her waist. _

Her eyes snapped to those of azure, the deepest blue she had ever seen. _James. _

James' eyes narrowed a fraction. _Yes. What do you remember?_

Hailey thought about that question as she fought the fog in her mind. She could recall a conversation in the kitchen…

_Dark eyes flatly taking her in. Lights exploding above her. Claws shoving inside her brain. _

A stab shot through her mind. Hailey gasped and fisted the bed sheets.

_Hailey. _

James' deep voice brought Hailey back from the cascade of images, her memories intertwining with each other. "He hurt me," she whispered.

_Both of them. _

She unclenched her fists, her fingers trembling.

"He won't be able to do so anymore." James' skin was pulled taut over his cheekbones and his eyes seemed to shoot fire. Hailey felt her heart twitch.

_You're imagining things again… _

She closed her eyes for a moment, her thoughts hazy. When she opened them, James was still looking at her. _Rest. I'll keep you safe, _she heard in her head, but that must have been her imagination. She probably imagined the slightest touch of his fingers on the back of her hand as well.

James walked through the door of the small room and Hailey blinked a couple of times and inhaled. Exhaling, she frowned and focused her eyes on the woman who seemed to be a nurse of some kind. She cleared her throat again. "So, what did you mean by 'damage'?"

It turned out there were several minor lesions visible in Hailey's brain tissue in the initial scan, which seemed to be a small miracle. Edyson was a Gradient 7.9 telepath whose expertise was in mental combat. The fact that he had barely torn through her shields was very reassuring, but the idea of someone tearing through her mind like that again? Hailey shivered as she pushed the dark thoughts away. She realized once more how lucky she was to have strong natural shields.

Edyson hadn't been able to do much yet when he'd tried to enter her thoughts through telepathic force, and she knew it was only due to James' timely interference that her mind was still intact. Later scans showed the small spots were almost entirely healed with help of an M-Psy.

After three boring, long days in the infirmary Hailey was allowed to return to her cabin. Since there was nothing physically wrong with her, she could continue her training with the medical advice to take it slow. That was fine with her. She'd rather be out of bed than caged by the four walls of the infirmary. She had visits from several teenagers who were eager for her to start classes again. Isobel and Zaira had also swung by several times.

Zaira had informed her Edyson had spoken with Aden and had chosen to retire from the Squad, his mental state unhinged in the aftermath of twenty years of service to the Arrows and the changes rippling through the PsyNet.

A week after her release from the infirmary she met James on the small target practice field in the forest. Besides a slight headache she was back to her good old self, and was ready to go full throttle again.

Hailey was happy to practice in private. She felt like a bit of a freak show since the kitchen incident. She hadn't seen James since the day she woke and figured he had probably been on some mission.

Hailey sighed as she placed a large floor mat on the grass, providing extra cushioning for when she invariably fell during their training. Narrowing her eyes, she decided to try and see if she could figure out what James did when he went away. He never told her when he was leaving and always just turned up after a couple of hours or days.

_But he doesn't have to answer to you now, does he?_

Shaking her head at that thought, she looked at James as she blew a tendril of hair out of her face. He was standing there all tall and silent, watching her pull the heavy mat into the right place.

"Well now, I do believe I owe milord thanks for helping me, a poor damsel, out with this damn heavy mat. So nice of you to stand there, arms crossed and eyes watchful. Thank you for having my back just in case a tiger decides to jump out of that tree over there." She gestured at a tall oak when she finally got the mat in the right place.

After securing her hair in a messy bun, she looked at James again. He had simply ignored her small rant and now unfolded his arms. "You could have used your Tk."

_Oh… _

He had her there. "You're right," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "How was your week?"

He gave her a flat look. "Fine."

Not done with needling him just yet, she rolled her eyes and asked, "Why does it have to be martial arts? Why not painting or writing or learning to play the guitar?"

"Because martial arts require discipline and focus," James said coolly, her questions and behavior having _zero_ effect on him whatsoever.

Hailey nodded. "Right, just like learning to play an instrument or learning about art, then."

James locked eyes with her, sending shivers along her spine. "No," his tone was hard in rejection of that apparently ridiculous statement. "Martial arts are useful and not some frivolous nonsense to waste time with."

Hailey decided she wouldn't let James overwhelm her with his rude and standoffish behavior. He'd caught her off guard when he'd rejected her. She wouldn't let him wound her so easily now, even if the sight of him made her heart clench.

_Don't forget, he was in the infirmary to check up on you._

Shutting up the stupid voice in her mind, Hailey bit back at his equally stupid remark. "Jesus," she exclaimed, "does speaking asshole come naturally to you, or do you have to try very hard?" She narrowed her eyes at him, but since he didn't respond, she decided to unleash a little more. Bracing her hands on her hips, she continued.

"I really don't understand why you feel the intense need to show me you have testosterone in your body, thus being crude and coarse all the time. Real manly behavior of you." Her eyebrow arched. "If you don't want to work with me and teach me, say so. You know, use that big mouth of yours since you're so tough and eloquent. And you know wha-"

A shrieking gasp emerged from Hailey's throat as she flew through the air and landed firmly on the mat. James crouched over her, pinning her down with his hands. One held both of her hands above her head; the other was placed just below her throat.

James' cold voice seemed in direct contrast to the warmth of his hands on her skin. Wearing only a tank top and sweatpants meant direct skin-to-skin contact with this statue of a man.

"Don't let your opponent bring you off balance."

Heartbeat irregular, she clenched her teeth and fisted her hands. "Get the hell off me," she hissed, angry at herself for letting her temper get the best of her.

His impenetrable gaze lingered on her, but this time there was almost a shadow of anger she could see. Satisfaction sparked inside her for inciting a reaction.

_No, Hailey. Don't think you can read him_, she reminded herself.

When he still didn't move, she tried to use her Tk to _push_ him off, but he only strengthened his hold on her.

"Try harder," ice in his voice.

He wasn't hurting her. His grip was firm but not painful. He would never hurt her. He always only tried to guide her–in his hallmark harsh and curt way.

Hailey decided to follow James' order and started to squirm to get free, kicking up her legs as she attempted to roll over on her side.

Only it wasn't working. He had her locked in an iron-tight grip and kept on staring with that intense, detached gaze that made her shudder.

James didn't know it, but it was one of Hailey's biggest fears to be overpowered like this. The fear that someone could take control and do what they wanted with her triggered awful memories.

_Just like what almost happened in the kitchen._ _And that night…_

She felt the panic building with every failed attempt to free herself, not sure if James would release her if she asked. He would never harm her but he was most likely unaware that trapping her like this was hurting her, nonetheless.

She tried to use her Tk over and over, tried wrenching her wrists out of his hold, but he blocked her attacks and kept holding on to her. Somewhere in the back of her head she knew her wrists would start to show marks from her struggling attempts to get free, but with the panic growing, she didn't care.

Breath coming in ragged pants from exertion, she tried to speak. "Let me go," her voice sounded strained and husky from anxiety.

James' response was brutal. "Try harder."

Even though his hand laid flat on her chest, it felt as if he was choking her, all the air disappearing from her lungs while fear clawed at her. "James," she pleaded breathlessly, but there was no mercy, no sympathy, no understanding in his expressionless face.

_He really is Silent._

Tears stung in the corners of her eyes, her heart slamming in a wild rhythm. Unwilling to surrender, Hailey fought harder. She growled as she tried to wrench free again.

Tapping into every ounce of telekinetic energy inside her, she let it burst out of her cells with a single goal and something snapped taut inside her mind.

James saw the moment Hailey's anger turned into something more vulnerable, but he _could not_ let her go. He needed to see, needed to know what Hailey would do when truly pushed to her limit. He had to make sure he was right about his suspicions considering her powers. And this was the only way to do it.

Hailey wouldn't have understood if he'd told her, she was too stubborn and always tried to argue with him. Besides that, James didn't think his plan would work if she knew what he was trying to do. The entire point was for her to be pushed to the extreme limit.

Seeing panic seep into her eyes was as numbing for him as it was for her. The shadows behind the shields of ice in James' mind lunged at him, shouted that he should let her go, that he was hurting her and hurting Hailey was unacceptable. But the rational, calculating part of his psyche knew he had to hold on.

So he pushed, held on to her, caged her. He met the fire in her eyes with ice, unsure if he would break something inside her after her encounter with Edyson, but he _had_ to see what would happen to be able to help her.

She probably wouldn't believe him if he told her he didn't want to hurt innocents anymore. Not after what Ming LeBon made the Squad do. Not after the people he'd taken in for disrupting Silence. Not after the dozens of hits that turned out to be business competitors or otherwise annoyances to Ming. Innocent people _he_ had murdered. There was no excuse for that, nothing that could wash away the sins he'd committed. But James believed in Aden's words, believed the Arrows could be more than an army of assassins.

The day Aden took over, James had vowed not to hurt the innocents, the vulnerable. He'd vowed to protect them from harm. And today he had to break that promise.

Watching the woman he held turn from a Valkyrie to a small, trapped bird was breaking something inside him he didn't know could be broken.

_You have to be sure._

He focused his attention to Hailey again. Sweat shone a fine layer over her skin, her breath choppy and knuckles white. James deflected every physical way she tried to fight him, solely holding her hands and pinning her down at her chest. He could feel her heart wildly slamming against her chest as the anxiety rose, her breathing close to hyperventilating.

Then Hailey pleaded, whispering his name, and James could feel her light extinguish. He saw her eyes shimmer, her lower lip tremble and the luscious caramel of her skin pale. Gritting his teeth, he tried to focus on his goal while he kept on holding her, no matter how hard the darkness raged within.

_You have to do this so you can help her. _

James never wanted Hailey to look at him with fear in her eyes again and he wasn't proud that what he was doing was scaring her.

Her frustrated growl filled the quiet air–all the birds had disappeared when she'd first used her Tk. The darkness inside coiled away at the fear in her eyes, clawed at him to _stop_. He almost lifted his hands off her, unable to stand the look she gave him, unable to listen to another one of her jagged breaths.

Then it happened.

It was as if everything around them _exploded_, Hailey's Tk bursting as the trees cracked and snapped under the sheer power she exuded. James felt a pull inside his mind as the targets were blown off the field and smashed against the ground and nearby trees. Leaves, branches and other debris filled the air. Hailey's body arched upwards and James was pushed away, only this felt _nothing_ like her other attempts.

That was when she opened her eyes. All warm brown was replaced by glowing jade sparking with gold. James had no time to watch the uniqueness of her eyes, because her Tk slammed full force into his chest.

His hands were yanked off her body as the telekinesis crashed into him again. This time James was the one helpless to Hailey's power as he flew backward and landed roughly against one of the trees surrounding the field. He heard something in his body snap, probably a rib, but was too focused on Hailey to bother.

Hailey rose from the ground and walked towards him. With every step she took he felt the pressure increasing, as if every inch of his body was being squeezed until he couldn't move, until his muscles and bones started to give in.

Arrow training had always been excruciating. James had watched while his bones had been broken multiple times without responding. He'd been burned during training, just to be healed and burned again. He was intimately familiar with pain and–like all the adult Arrows–had a very high pain threshold. But he'd never experienced anything like this.

He tried to use his Tk to block her, realizing too late that his hypothesis about Hailey's abilities was right. Unfortunately, that meant he was now powerless against a woman he had provoked and caged only seconds ago, after the trauma she'd already gone through with Edyson.

_This wasn't your sharpest move. _

Even though he had requested back up in case his hypotheses had this outcome, James had ordered them to keep their distance and only respond to his request. He now found he was unable to telepathically reach them, due to Hailey's abilities.

Gritting his teeth as he felt every millimeter of his body being crushed under extreme pressure, the pain excruciating, he used the one thing he had left.

"Stop." He made it a command so it would incite a reaction from Hailey, hoping she would snap out of the surge of power. It didn't work. She kept coming closer, straining his body to the limit, eyes blazing jade and gold. Something in the way she looked at him made his heart jerk.

The absent stare, the lack of life in her gaze… this wasn't Hailey. This was the survival mechanism that had saved her and had caused her powers to erupt once before. She wasn't present and wasn't aware of what she was doing. She was only focused on eliminating the threat. Eliminating him.

James felt blood trickle out his nose.

"Hailey." His voice sounded thin as the pressure continued crushing the bones and organs in his body. A groan escaped his throat when he tried to speak again, but he was unable to form words, unable to make her stop.

Aware that his body was on the verge of shutting down, James reached for the last straw and spoke to her with his mind, even though his telepathy had been cut off. And somehow, their pathway was wide open.

_Hailey, stop. You're hurting me._

Relief surged through his body when she froze as the glow in her eyes dimmed. He felt her hold on him slip. His body slid down the tree and he landed on the forest floor with a dull thud.

"Oh God!" Hailey exclaimed. She ran the final distance towards him and fell to her knees, cupped his face in her hands. "Oh God!" she said again, her hands shaking as she pulled his body against hers. "No, this isn't happening!" She enclosed him in her arms, stroked his hair off his forehead.

James could feel his mind going sluggish, his body giving in, the edges of his vision darkening more and more.

"James, what the hell did you do to me?!" Tears streamed down Hailey's face, her voice a whisper.

All James could think about was that he should apologize for making her cry, for hurting her, but he realized he wasn't able to bring words across his lips.

"I don't know how to help you." A tremor ran through her voice. "You idiot, what did you make me do?" She bent over him and held onto him for a moment as James fought the murky haze that was tempting him to close his eyes and exhale, to fall in endless blackness.

Hailey's tears fell onto his cheek, slid down his jaw, her forehead resting against his temple. "I'm so sorry, James. I'm so sorry," she kept whispering.

James tried to lift his hand to touch her cheek and wipe away the tears, to stop her from hurting, but couldn't find the strength to make his muscles move. Something inside him uncurled at her concern, at the feeling of her hands on his skin, her scent in his breath. _You've reached your full potential. _

The last thing James remembered seeing was confusion and anguish reflected in warm brown eyes devoid of jade and gold. The last thing he remembered thinking was that it would be a shame if he'd never get to hold her again.

Hailey felt the hot tears run down her cheeks as she kept holding onto him. James had passed out, a slither of blood streaming from his nose.

_You did this. You've hurt him._

Uncertain what had happened, she yelled for help. The next moment Zaira stood next to her, shooting commands at different Squad members who appeared from nowhere. Everything from there was a haze.

All Hailey knew was that James had been teleported away and she was alone in her cabin after several hours of questioning.

The thing was, Hailey didn't know what happened. She remembered being pinned down, fighting James, and after that… nothing. She explained that to the Arrow interrogators but they didn't seem to believe her.

It felt as if it happened in the blink of an eye, yet when Hailey was finally lucid enough to check the time, she saw it was late at night. Still wearing her work out clothes, she felt dirty.

Numb, she walked through the sliding doors straight to the small bathroom and turned on the shower. When she looked in the mirror, she saw a ghost of herself staring back. Face pale, eyes puffy and red, dirt streaks across her cheeks and a faint red mark in between her collarbones, just underneath her throat. She held up her wrists. Dark pink and blue bruises were colored shackles around them.

Feeling both angry and sad, she pulled off her clothes, unraveled her hair and stepped underneath the scalding hot shower. More tears came. She was angry at James for causing this. Angry with herself for losing control and hurting him so badly. Scared because she didn't know what had happened and if it would happen again.

Guilt weighed heavy on her heart. What if James never recovered from her attack?

Slamming her hand to the wall, she let the water wash away her fears, doubts and insecurities until she felt wrung dry. Just as she finished drying herself off, she heard a gentle knock at the door.

"Just a minute." Her voice was barely recognizable to herself, the sound raw and hoarse as if she'd cried for hours. Quickly braiding her hair, she walked out to the bedroom area to put on jeans and a grey sweatshirt.

Not knowing what to expect after the hours of questioning, Hailey opened the front door to find a woman her own height with shoulder-length curls gleaming blue black in the lamplight of the cabin. She had a pretty face with captivating copper eyes. Hailey had seen the woman walk around the Arrow compound before but had never spoken to the head of the Empathic Collective.

"Hello, I'm Ivy Jane Zen," the empath introduced herself. "You must be Hailey."

Hailey nodded. "Yes," she replied, her voice a whisper. Not knowing what to do next, she asked, "Do you want to come in?" She looked at the kitchen unit. "I could make some tea."

Ivy shot a look to her right. Only then Hailey became aware of the tall man standing guard outside her door. It was the same man who'd teleported her to the valley. Vasic, Hailey remembered, was Ivy's husband_. _

_Of course they're going to guard you. You're a danger to everyone. _

Ivy and Vasic shared intense eye contact, and Hailey was aware there was a conversation taking place that wasn't audible to her when Ivy scowled. After a moment, Ivy returned her attention to Hailey and smiled. "Yes, tea would be lovely," the empath said as she entered the cabin and shut the door behind herself.

As Hailey prepared two mugs of tea, Ivy sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen.

"How are you doing?"

The soft question threatened to make Hailey tear up again. She took a deep breath and exhaled as she put down the drinks on the table before getting seated herself.

"I'm not sure what happened. One moment, James was holding me down, the next I–" Hailey's voice cut off and she stared at the mug in her hands.

"I heard some senior Arrows already tried to talk to you about it." Ivy scowled. "I don't agree with the way they chose to do it, but I see why they treated you as a threat."

Hailey looked up. "I _am_ a threat." She swallowed. "They have every right to question me, to lock me up. The truth is, I don't know what's happening to me either."

Ivy looked at her with sympathetic eyes, making the copper in her irises stand out.

"Is James… is he okay?" Hailey lowered her head and stared at the dark liquid in her mug, not being able to bear the thought she permanently hurt him, even if he was infuriatingly rude and made of stone. No one had the right to hurt someone else like that.

_And you've done it three times now, _she reminded herself.

Suppressing a shiver, she took a careful sip from her drink.

"He's badly injured, but the M-Psy said he will make a full recovery," Ivy answered. "It will take a few days to heal all the breaks and bring him up to full strength, but he _will_ heal."

Relief flooded through Hailey's veins as she released a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding in. Looking up at Ivy again, she shook her head. "God, I hate him sometimes when he's ordering me around during training, but I'm _so_ glad he'll be alright."

Ivy scrunched her nose and smiled a little. "Well, he can be an arrogant man, but I'm glad he'll be better soon as well."

That comment got a shaky smile out of Hailey. "Can you stay with me for a while?" she asked Ivy. It wasn't much of a surprise that the presence of the other woman calmed her down, considering that Ivy was a powerful E-Psy. That wasn't the reason why Hailey had asked. She just didn't want to be alone right now.

Ivy nodded. "Of course."

Hailey gave her a wry smile. "I think he might have finally felt something when it happened." She stared at her hands. "His voice…" Hailey couldn't find the words to describe the way it had sounded within the walls of her mind.

Ivy watched her a few moments, then shook her head. "It's not for me to say, but I believe some Arrows are what a lot of high gradient Psy are without Silence." Her features softened. "They're scared of what they will become when they lose control."

That statement resonated with Hailey more than Ivy could ever know.


	16. Chapter 14

14

The scans show no signs of trauma for now, but it is certain continuous exposure is hazardous and will unquestionably cause long-term damage. Initial prospects are increasing susceptibility to brain hemorrhages and/or strokes. I strongly urge you to limit exposure or to remove the dissonance controls permanently.

\- Medical report from the Arrow's M-Psy to James Addison.

A week later, Hailey was still secluded to her cabin. She was permitted to walk in the woods and attend martial arts training, but not when any of the young were in the vicinity.

It broke her heart not being able to teach the teenagers, not being able to interact with others except for the two hours of practice before breakfast and after dinnertime, but she understood. It was the same reason she'd stopped working and isolated herself as much as possible from the outside world when she was still in New York.

What she didn't understand was why she was allowed to stay in the valley. When she'd asked Aden why he was still harboring her–an immediate and unknown threat to their young–he had shaken his head.

"_What are we, but a collective of dangerous abilities? What would it make us, make me, if we turn our backs to those who need guidance and training the most?" _

Unable to argue with that logic, Hailey focused on gaining more control. That meant doing laps with use of her Tk three times a day, this time without James to catch her when she fell down.

Running gave her an outlet for the circling thoughts in her mind but still couldn't make her tired enough to stop overthinking entirely. Even though the nightmares haunted her worse than before, Hailey felt she deserved them for hurting James.

Ivy had updated her on James' progress; he was almost entirely recovered, mainly due to the healing skills of the medical staff. Hailey hadn't seen him around, even though he'd been released early this morning.

_Probably because you're avoiding him like the plague._

That wasn't entirely true. In the course of the week she'd been training with other Arrow instructors, so she had been occupied… for about four hours a day.

Okay, yes, she had been avoiding him.

Partly because she was feeling extremely guilty and didn't know how to face him. For crying out loud, she'd injured him so bad, he'd been bedridden for _a week_, and he was a badass Arrow with healing staff to provide him with top-notch care. That meant she'd hurt him _badly_, even by Arrow standards.

The other part was that she feared being near James would set her off again. She didn't want to hurt anyone like that ever again, so she figured it was best to steer clear from him for now.

_Right. Steer clear. That sounds a lot like, well… avoiding him, doesn't it?_

Giving the reasonable voice inside her head the finger, Hailey sighed deeply and rubbed her temples. She was still feeling restless an hour after her 7 AM training session. Picking up her guitar from its position next to the loveseat, she headed deep into the forest to a small clearing. Settling down on a tree stump, she began to play and sing, feeling her mind ease with each quiet note she strummed.

James froze at the warm, slightly husky sound of Hailey's voice filling the air. He moved closer until he was only a few yards away from her and stopped to drink in the sight of her. The picture she made sitting on a tree stump while singing made his breath catch.

Her dark hair flowed like a waterfall down her back, the ends curling below her waist. The early morning sun created a soft glow around her, the opulent mass of her dark hair haloed with copper and her caramel skin gleaming gold. Long, dark lashes rested in crescent moons on her skin as she sang with her eyes closed, and he recalled hearing her sing the same song after their second training session.

"_Undress the dark, eyes see through a heart. Unchain for me what's hidden deeply."_

Her eyebrows drew together as she sang, and it was like she was able to release the tension in her body through her voice, her shoulders relaxing and her expression easing as she continued channeling her emotions through her song.

The hairs on his arm rose in response to the hauntingly beautiful melody. The pain from the dissonance didn't kick in, since James had finally asked Aden to remove all the mental tripwires except the last one. He recalled his conversation with Aden when he was lying in the infirmary.

"_It's your choice," his commander said, thrusting a hand through his sleek black hair. _

_James nodded as he sat up straight in the infirmary bed. The M-Psy on duty told him it would take three more days for him to recover fully from Hailey's attack. He had received several treatments since not only multiple bones had been broken, but several organs had been damaged as well. Though his ribs were still sensitive, he felt fine but had been ordered to rest. _

_Bed rest had proven frustrating, and James had asked some of his tech co-workers to bring in some datapads he could assess. Putting aside the device he had been working on, he looked at Aden again. _

"_You know I can't let you eliminate all the dissonance tripwires," James said. _

_Aden braced his elbows on his thighs as he leaned forward. "You think your Tk will burst out of control."_

_James didn't answer, because there was no answer needed. _

"_You could speak with the others."_

_James thought about Aden's suggestion. Vasic, Abbot, Judd and Stephan were all of designation Tk and all had romantic relationships. Though Stephan had never finished his Arrow training due to conditioning failures, he was considered an Arrow, nonetheless. James couldn't recall hearing any reports about Stephan's Tk going haywire, which meant he must have found a solution to redirect his Tk during acts of intimacy. _

_He considered that, as he forced himself to ask the hardest question. "The others, they've never hurt their mates?"_

"_No. Trust in your training and your abilities, James. You won't hurt Hailey with your Tk. And," Aden added as his dark eyes warmed, "if you're smart, you won't hurt her period." _

_James felt something unknown ease in his chest at Aden's words; he knew Hailey would get angry and obstinate if he behaved harshly towards her. Apparently, Aden was aware of that fact also. _

_Gossiping Arrows. _

_James could almost hear Hailey's laughter resonate inside his mind, how she would be delighted by it. He wanted to tell her, wanted to make her laugh and watch her face light up, see the sparks dance in her expressive eyes. _

"_What about the shields in the PsyNet?"_

_Aden shook his head. "It seems there is no issue considering our status on the PsyNet when we respond to physical interaction if you keep an eye on your shields." _

_James nodded. Since he was already talking to Aden, he decided to ask the final question that was on his mind. "How do I know what to do?"_

_Aden's eyes held an expression James could only categorize as amusement. "You'll find out if you listen to her and observe her responses." His lips tugged slightly. "But I'll send you a manual as well."_

At the end of their meeting, Aden had taken away all dissonance controls but the final one. James had insisted on keeping it as a failsafe and Aden hadn't argued. After Aden's departure, James had downloaded the manual Aden had sent to one of the datapads on the infirmary nightstand.

James had never seen himself as an unworldly man, but then again, he had never explored the myriad of options of physical intimacy. He'd been taught about the difference between males and females during sexual education when he was younger and he knew about the act of sexual intercourse, but never had he felt the impulse to act on physical urges. Now, however, he'd found it intriguing going through the material while thinking of Hailey in such a context. His body agreed.

He went looking for her as soon as he was given the 'all clear' by the M-Psy, the greed inside him amplified by the fantasies he'd created based on the material in the manual and the images Hailey had accidentally sent him.

And now, his body immediately responded at the sight of her, his skin warming and tightness appearing inside his chest. As he began closing the distance between them, her song ended abruptly.

Hailey had jumped up and dropped her guitar on the forest floor. She was standing several feet away from him, her lower lip quivering and eyes growing huge as she took him in. Before he could speak, she leaped forward, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest. James went motionless for an instant, not expecting her to be so tactile after what he'd done, but he closed his arms around her, nonetheless. He felt her trembling and looked down at the top of her head.

He never thought of Hailey as small since her personality made up for her lack of height, but in reality she barely reached his chin.

_So vulnerable yet so dangerous. _

Now he leaned back a little, moving one hand from her back to cup her chin, gently tipping up her head so he could meet her eyes. Warm brown with pinpoints of jade and gold, those unique eyes held tears. Tears for him, he realized, as something inside him cracked further, Hailey breaking through his every shield.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry for what I've done. I don't even know how I did it. One minute, you were infuriating me, the next–" her voice cut off as the tears ran down her cheeks, just like they had done when she had unleashed her abilities on him.

Sniffing, her eyes skated away, and he could categorize her response as one of shame. He felt her arms slide away from his neck and realized he didn't want her to let go. "You have no reason to apologize," he said quickly. "I was the one who triggered your reaction by holding you down." He brushed away a tear with his thumb. "I should apologize."

She looked up at him again, her hands resting on his chest, the contact branding him. "Don't say that. I really didn't mean to hurt you for what you did," a crease appeared between her eyebrows. Then her eyes flashed at him and she pushed herself out of his hold, wiping away the remnants of her tears. "Why did you do it?" she demanded.

_That's better._

James rather dealt with her anger than her sadness; he knew how to handle her snappy remarks. He didn't know how to respond when she was crying.

He folded his arms to hide the fact that there was a sudden emptiness, one that wasn't there when she held him. He wasn't sure if he liked the fact that she touched something deep in him he hadn't known existed. It made him vulnerable.

_And Arrows cannot be vulnerable. _

Aware she was waiting for him to respond, as she mirrored his stance and tapped one foot impatiently on the ground, he simply stated, "I had to test my hypothesis."

She stared at him. Moments passed. Her foot started tapping a fraction faster while her jaw clenched.

Something uncurled inside him when jade sparks lit up Hailey's eyes, and he thought, perhaps, he was experiencing amusement.

Yes, with her anger, he could deal.

"Well?" It was another demand from the small woman in front of him who'd held her own in every interaction, unflinching, unblinking.

_Maybe you should needle her a little more._

It was a completely irrational and obdurate thought, but he did it anyway. "Well, what?" Hailey looked like she was about to shout at him.

James felt warmth expand in his chest, a wave of something unknown crashing through his body. The changelings had a concept they called 'play', something that had never made sense to James. It made sense for others to interact in such ways, like the Arrow children he often oversaw on arranged play dates with the RainFire leopard cubs. The more they played, the more the children smiled.

After the first play date, the Arrow children had been eager to see the leopards again. That was when he'd understood that interacting with the changelings, that _playing,_ made the children happy.

Being happy was something James had never considered; Arrow duty had become his only reason to be ever since he'd been a boy of almost seven. Only he now found he had it in himself to play after all; being teased by Hailey and teasing her back gave him an odd feeling. A _good_ feeling.

James couldn't recall if he'd ever felt that way before he met Hailey. Every day his stomach tightened in anticipation of seeing her and he started noticing small things about her aside from cold, factual observations. All he knew was that those moments had begun even before their first training sessions and kept occurring more frequently.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph," she huffed out, "I guess beating the living crap out of you once isn't enough for you to change your arrogant and presumptuous personality–even if I didn't do it on purpose."

She didn't know it, but she was beautiful when she was angry. Cheeks slightly flushed, her full lips parted and her eyes liquid, luminous jade and gold. The only other moment James found her to be more beautiful was when she smiled at him.

_Maybe you can hold her again, feel her soft skin against yours._

James didn't know where that thought came from, but after seeing Aden with Zaira and Vasic with Ivy, he was more than willing to follow the thread.

"God, I'm so embarrassed I actually hugged you just now," Hailey muttered frustratedly to the ground.

Looking up at James again, she continued her rant. "I know Devraj told me to keep a low profile, but this is impossible. You being all I'm-a-statue-and-don't-talk-more-than-three-words-a-day brings out the absolute worst in me." She let out an annoyed snort. "Maybe I should talk more slowly so you can actually understand what I'm saying, since you're not used to conversing and all." Pronouncing each word deliberately slow, she asked, "What was your hypothesis, milord?"

His eyes seamed to gleam at that taunt; pure, unwavering focus on her as he strode towards her, his movements gracefully deadly. Unwilling to back off, Hailey stubbornly stuck out her chin and arched her neck backward so she could look straight into his dangerous expression. Her heart skipped a few beats when he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, then closed his fingers around her chin.

"Careful," he said.

The soft word spoken in that deep, dark voice sent shivers up her spine and made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

_Jesus, Hales, get yourself together! He's made it obvious he's Silent. He's not some nice fling to flirt with. Stop drooling and start acting like a woman with some damn brains and self-respect, you masochist! _

Jerking herself out of his hold, she focused on his words rather than the rest of his powerful presence. That proved to be far more difficult than she thought. Because James was standing so close, Hailey was acutely aware of his scent, hints of oak moss and sandalwood lingering around her.

_God, he smells really good…_

"Don't change the subject," she whispered.

Oh, holy hell, why was her voice all breathy and husky?!

Swallowing in an attempt to make her voice sound a little more normal, she continued. "James, tell me. I need to know what's going on." And Hailey knew that to be true, no room for acerbic comments or snappy remarks since she still didn't understand what caused her ability lash out like it had done.

Suddenly vulnerable, she looked away. "I didn't mean to hurt you and I don't want to hurt anybody else." She released a shaky breath. "I'm dangerous and I can't live the life I want because I'm a threat to others."

His fingers slid under her chin again, tipping her face up to meet his. James' gaze was still extremely intent, still focused solely on her. "I'll tell you."

Relief unclasped the ice hand that held her heart since the day she'd attacked him. Sucking in a breath, she waited for him to continue.

"But," his voice a caress against her skin, "you'll have to give me something in return."

Nodding impatiently, she was all ears. "Yes, sure, I'll give you what you want. So, what did you figure out?" Hailey noticed she was leaning in closer, eager to find out what this quiet, intelligent, insufferable man had to say.

"Are you sure? You don't want to know the favor you're extending?"

Able to feel the vibration of his deep voice through his shirt–she really was standing close, wasn't she?–Hailey's irritation got the better of her. "Yes, YES, I will give you whatever you want, even if it means I have to dance around on a table in the common area during lunchtime when everybody's watching," she snapped. "I just want my life back, so stop trying to manipulate me!"

Anticipation tightening her gut, James nodded and finally spoke again. "You drain others of their powers and channel the abilities."

Frowning, Hailey tried to think back to several incidents that occurred the last couple of months. But for once, she didn't have to push James to speak up, because he was already explaining his findings to her.

"When I pinned you down, I did so with the intention of seeing if it would incite this part of your power." His azure eyes were observing her reaction. "Right now, it only seems to occur when your adrenaline levels spike. Like a survival response, when people are in fight, flight or freeze mode."

Hailey absentmindedly noticed James' thumb stroking her cheek, but she was too caught up in his words to comment on the odd way he was treating her.

"Fear alone wasn't enough to incite the response this time. When you started fighting, _truly_ fighting me, your ability emerged."

James watched Hailey blow out a breath as he brushed his thumb over the soft skin of her cheek again as he spoke. "You drain the power of the person closest to you, leaving that person unable to use their abilities for the moment. That's the exact reason why I wasn't able to deflect your attack when you held me down. You used my own telekinesis against me."

What _had_ been odd was that he had been able to reach her telepathically. James still wasn't sure how that had been possible, since he'd been unable to reach his back up.

"I need a second," she muttered as she stepped away from him and began pacing back and forth along the clearing.

His fingers seemed to burn from the skin-to-skin contact and James found himself willing to be burned by that wildfire of hers over and over again. Soft and curvy, he could still recall the feel of her in his hands. Though he had held her before, now he wondered what her skin would look like if he was able to observe it up close, what it would be like to run his hands over every inch of her.

Would she have small beauty marks all over her body? Would her entire skin flush in that deep pink color, just like her cheeks?

His fists clenched and James focused on the current situation rather than his want. That was proving troublesome since Hailey was still pacing around, her hips swaying, her jeans skintight over her luscious lower curves and her hair flowing behind her in a heavy cloud of the richest, darkest brown.

Hailey thrust a hand through the long, dark mass before turning around. "So," her voice slightly husky, making his arm hairs rise, "you're telling me I'm like a leech?" Her perfectly serious face made him warm up from inside.

_Laughter._

She had _no idea_ what she was doing to him.

"Yes, I believe so," he said, coaxing her into reacting to him once again.

Hailey made a face and smiled. The warmth of it seeped through his skin, Hailey the absolute center of his universe.

"God, you're a charmer," she said without heat as expression grew more serious. "What about the time when I froze everything?"

James stepped closer to her, unable to keep his distance. "You were standing next to Evan. He's a high gradient Tk and has taught himself the technique."

Only Evan wasn't able to do it on such a large scale, which suggested Hailey had used her own telekinesis to push the Tk she'd absorbed from Evan to cardinal levels. It also answered why the color of Hailey's irises had become so intense after her first fallout; James suspected it was the Forgotten's variety to cardinal eyes, Hailey having grown into her power.

Those eyes now changed colors, from gold to brown with jade flecks. "We can finally fix what's wrong now." Her voice was quiet and her face solemn. "Thank you for telling me."

He didn't stop moving towards her to say there was nothing to fix. Hailey wasn't broken, far from it. In a world where violent abilities existed, her control issues were a small thing in comparison to the murder and bloodshed other people attracted and incited. People like him.

That didn't stop him from coming to her either. It should have, but the greed that lived inside him wouldn't be caged anymore. It had decided on her, and James couldn't find the power to shut down the need that was clawing at him. "Don't thank me yet."

A crease appeared between her eyebrows; Hailey utterly unaware of his darkness. "Okay." It was an absent mutter, as she still seemed to be taking in the news of her abilities. "You win," she said more clearly now, bowing deeply with her arms wide. "What is it you wish, milord?" She stood up straight, her hands on her hips, a daring expression on her face.

_Your smart mouth, Miss Logan. _

James' heartbeat rose at the thought, the greed ripping viciously at the reins for control.He found that he was glad for his Arrow training, since he was unlikely to give away anything with facial cues. Though, the heat in his eyes…

_That would be hard to miss. _

"I want to kiss you," he said and felt his chest grow tight in anticipation.

Hailey's body went rigid, surprise apparent in her big, unique eyes. James noticed he was holding his breath and exhaled while Hailey was still looking completely astounded. Internally, he battled the urges that compelled him to leap forward and take her.

When Hailey finally found her words, they were unexpected. "What?" she blurted out. "You're Silent!"

At first James thought her reaction was one of refusal… then he _saw_. Her cheeks were flushing, she was breathing rapidly and her full lips were parted.

"I'm not," he said as he strode towards her, a predator closing in on its prey, his heart slamming in his chest at her closeness.

_Calm down. She can still say no. _

He clenched his fists at the memories of how he'd treated her from their first encounter on out, how he had pushed her and gone cold, just to push again. That made the darkness inside him halt for a moment.

_She has every right to say no._

He concentrated on a mental exercise as he stood toe-to-toe with her, urging himself to wait for her permission. Whatever happened right now, it _had_ to be out of conscious volition on her part. Otherwise it would all be meaningless. It would hurt her_._

Rejection burned through his body. He would _never_ hurt her, no matter how deep she'd stirred the shadows inside him.

Though he agreed with the darkness that her affection had to be freely given, the greed in his soul urged him to coax her and he couldn't resist; he had to touch her again. "You said it yourself, I feel. And I want to follow the advice you gave to Robin." He brushed his knuckles past her cheek and saw her flush deepen, rushing over the soft caramel of her skin.

A confused look on her face. Then understanding dawned on her features, her mouth forming a small 'o'.

"Even though you agreed to the wager, I won't take advantage of you," he said. He'd used her curiosity as leverage to trigger her, but he'd never force her to keep her word. That would breach rules of the unspoken, undefined thing between them.

Before he could add to that statement Hailey laughed, the startled sound a little off pitch. "Advantage? How? You haven't done anything like this before." She looked up. "You'd never hurt me like that."

Again, her trust in him was baffling. It was another reason why he felt drawn towards her. She was so expressive, so direct and honest, he never had to guess at her mood or motives. The irony that he–as a formerly Silent Arrow–felt attracted to her emotional side wasn't lost on him.

"_If_ I agree, and mind you, I would _never_ do something like that if I didn't want to…"

Her words snapped the greed inside to wakefulness, his heart nearly bursting out of his chest, combined with a strange sensation in his stomach.

Her eyes narrowed. "Wait." A scowl, her index finger poking in his chest. "That's why you made it a dare! You _knew!_" The flush on her cheeks turned full red. "You knew how I felt, how I still feel," she confessed as she pushed at his chest, not nearly hard enough to make him move, her small hands curling up to fists, resting on his pectorals.

Then he saw curiosity glimmer in her eyes. "You really do have F-abilities, don't you?"

James reached out to put another wisp of hair behind her ear, slightly brushing her cheek. Electricity shot through his fingers at the contact and he saw Hailey's pupils dilate. The darkness lunged, eager to bask in her light, but he answered her question through gritted teeth instead. "Yes. Mostly knowings and precognitions, not actual visions. But that's not why I asked".

"Why did you ask?"

Her full lips looked so soft, he wanted to touch them. So he did, running his thumb over her lower lip. Her eyelids fluttered shut for a second, her jagged breath sweeping over his hand in an invisible caress.

"Because," he said, as he brushed his finger over the unbelievably soft and plump flesh again, "I need to touch you."


	17. Chapter 15

15

Not want. That wasn't the word James used.

_Need. _

He needed to touch her.

_You were right all along._

James' admission altered everything Hailey once believed to be true about him. He wasn't made of stone, a cold and distant Psy. He simply didn't know how to deal, how to handle emotional input and keep control over his powers. And that was why he had pushed her away, why he had lied to her.

Even now she saw that same control in James' rigid body, his muscles bunched and shoulders stiff, his expression giving nothing away. But his eyes… they weren't ice anymore.

_No._

They were blue like the hottest part of a flame, showing his desire and longing for the contact.

Hailey remembered the remark James was referring to, the words she'd spoken to her student.

"_Choose what makes you happy." _

Well, she would take her own advice now. Splaying her hands on his chest, she leaned towards him. His eyes closed, dark blond lashes lowering on his golden skin for an instant while the tendons of his neck stood out starkly as he processed the contact.

When he opened his eyes, he tightened the hold on her chin and stroked over her lower lip once more. The soft, chaste caress made every cell in her body simmer. She reached up and brushed the tips of her fingers over his cheek, feeling a slight stubble on his jaw. The raw sensation made her toes curl and things in her lower body clench.

"Yes?" he asked, and she knew he was requesting permission even though she'd given him a wild card.

Moving her other hand to the place where his shoulder connected to his neck–the muscles and tendons rock hard under her fingers–Hailey pulled him towards her. He bent forward while she rose on tiptoe, their noses almost touching and their breaths intermingling. Oak moss and sandalwood around her, his scent intoxicating, her breast swelled at his vicinity. Softly stroking her thumb over the skin behind his ear, she felt him shiver.

She smiled. "Yes."

James wrapped his free arm around her waist as he carefully slanted his mouth over hers. The connection made Hailey shudder, and she crushed herself against his toned, hard body. Sparks shot through her system at the warmth of his lips, her nipples small beads, her legs about to give in. She braced her hands on his shoulders to keep herself from swaying as she continued giving him long, soft kisses.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach when James shifted his hand from her chin to her nape. Hailey closed her mouth softly over his lower lip, sucking, tasting and drinking in every inch of him.

He let her taste, let her discover as his hand tightened on her back and his erection pressed into her stomach. When she grazed her teeth over his lip, James jerked.

Thunder roared overhead.

Hailey made a small complaining noise the instant he pulled back, his breathing heavy, as was hers. The heat on James' cheekbones and the smoldering look in his eyes made her abdomen tighten.

_Beautiful man._

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "Once more." It was a breathless taunt with the words he so often used at training.

His teeth sank in her lower lip in riposte, causing a small gasp to escape her throat. Then he sucked on the delicate, swollen flesh of her lip and tasted her as much as she'd savored him. He thrust his hand in her hair and fisted the dark mass, the hunger inside him unmistakable.

Hailey's heart stuttered at the dominant, possessive hold. She wanted more, after yearning for him and fantasizing about him for weeks. Slightly opening her mouth, she licked out at his tongue.

Lightning flashed through the sky as his hand tightened a fraction more in her hair, the hold deliciously rough while James mimicked her movement and stroked his tongue against hers, kissing her deeply.

The feeling was _astonishing_.

Hailey melted into him, pleasure jolting through her body at the intimate contact with this gorgeous, dangerous man. She cupped his face to angle his head the way she liked it and he let her take the lead. Laving her tongue against his, she tunneled her fingers through the blond waves of his hair.

James' hand slid from her back down to her butt, molding the plump cheek through the fabric of her jeans. Hailey moaned, the sound echoing her deep need for him, and she pushed herself into the hardness of him even more.

Cracks of thunder and whipping winds roared over the small clearing.

A startled gasp emerged from her throat when James wrenched himself out of her embrace. Within the blink of an eye he stood several yards away, keeping her upright with a touch of his Tk. Hailey ran her fingertips over her kiss-swollen lips when James' psychic touch faded, her heart slamming inside her chest, her breath jagged, the air around her buzzing with sexual tension.

James looked tumbled, his cheeks slightly flushed, eyes solid black, hair deliciously messy and his pants… her eyes dipped, the sight causing her mind to hitch for a moment.

_Well now… _

Smiling slowly, she met the onyx of his gaze, which carried an inexplicable heat. "That was unexpected," her voice husky from want.

James clenched his fists, his jaw granite as he focused his Tk. The storm turned into a small breeze. "I apologize."

The words were stiff, but what he'd just shown her had been quite the opposite. Desire, lust and hunger, all pouring out in a single moment of passion. Hailey's heart swelled for him as she watched him viciously seize control. She never could have guessed the intensity, the depth of his longing mirrored hers.

"Don't." Feeling a blush cover her cheeks, she beamed at him. "It was amazing."

James' entire body trembled as he violently slammed his Tk back. His control in shreds, he apologized to Hailey for his behavior. But then she smiled at him, that true, pure light-filled smile, jade and gold sparks dancing in her eyes. Something inside his deepest core snapped.

Ignoring the spear stabbing in his mind due to the dissonance–his body and psyche not yet used to the physical contact, therefore generating a violent response–he gave the greed inside him free rein as he stalked towards her, wrapping his arm around her waist and hauling her in for another kiss. He was desperate to savor her, to let her smile and light flow into him and eliminate the darkness within his soul. All the horrors he had witnessed, every excruciating moment of pain, it all seemed to disappear when Hailey kissed him, as if the life of her bathed him in the sun, evaporating every flaw and shadow.

James thrust his hand in her hair again, tipping her head back as he fondled her luscious lower curves, pleasure rippling through his body. He had been deprived of pleasure, of _her, _his whole life and now that he had gotten a taste? He wasn't willing to give it up, regardless of the dissonance. He felt the greed take a hold of him as he wanted to touch, explore, take everything she was willing to offer him.

The biting sensation from Hailey's nails digging in the skin of his nape and scraping his scalp had him sending another burst of Tk into the sky. This time he held on to her and she seemed not to mind. Liquid fire in his arms, she smelled of peonies and cedar, her scent lingering in his every breath.

When Hailey moaned, the sound traveling directly to his lower body, James realized he was holding her extremely tight. Releasing his grip on her, he rested his forehead against hers and apologized again, his heart nearly exploding at the sensory overload.

"I'm fine," she said breathlessly, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "More than fine." Her eyes turned dark when she leaned back a little and studied his face, softly tracing his cheek with the tips of her fingers. "Are you all right as well?"

"Yes." The fading stabs in his cerebral cortex were a small price to pay for getting to hold her like this.

_Possessive_, he thought, _yes. _

Even though he could still feel the effects of the dissonance inside his mind, he didn't want to release her. He now understood that, even though the dissonance controls were mostly taken away, it would take time before he'd be able to process the intense stimuli he was experiencing, creating less of a reaction.

"Very eloquent," she teased as she placed a soft, feather-light kiss on his chin that made him want to ask for more. She tilted her head up again to meet his eyes. "So," a smile, striking, ever-changing eyes observing him, "what happens now?"

James thought of all the hidden depths of that question. Since he'd never associated with anyone on this level, he was at a loss. All he knew was he wanted to keep her. And, proven by his outbursts of Tk at this small intimacy, that was exactly what he couldn't do.

_She's yours now,_ the greed whispered, but he fought the urge to lay claim on her until he was very certain it was her wish as well. Knowing Hailey, she'd only fight him for assuming she was his solely based on a kiss.

_Perhaps she only extended this favor since you requested it_, the rational, calculating part of his mind argued.

No. Hailey did often act on impulse, but the pull between them had been existent since the very beginning. He found it hard to believe she'd consent to physical intimacy, just to shut him down.

"James?" Hailey's husky voice was nearly a whisper, but she had his immediate attention. She stoked her fingers past his temple and cupped his jaw. "It's difficult, I can tell. Maybe we should start slow?" A teasing smile on those luscious lips. "_Actually _slow?"

James felt his chest tighten at the small taunt. "What do you suggest?"

A crease appeared between her eyebrows, then her eyes lit up. "Well, you've kissed me now. Multiple times. Maybe we should be backward about it and go on a date."

_A date. _

Again, James was at a loss. He knew of the concept of dating but had never understood the point. That was before he knew Hailey.

Hailey seemed to notice his hesitation and stroked his cheek, soothing him. "Let me surprise you," she grinned.

"I'm unsure whether I would appreciate your idea of a surprise." The reward for his dry response was a bright laugh.

"I'll make sure you'll like it," Hailey coaxed before pulling him down for another kiss.

James found himself entirely out of his depth... but seeing Hailey smile at him with light in her eyes made him willing to try everything she'd ask of him. Willing to step out of the box and into a life where all was new.


	18. Chapter 16

16

I will shelter in your arms, though you fuel the winds of this storm

Yes, I do know

Don't be bothered by the tears, they conceal our thoughts

Can you remember?

Listen carefully, is there a memory inside you, that still speaks truth?

Let the rain then come, like uncertainty, cascading down on me

\- Lyrics written by Hailey Logan

Unfortunately for Hailey, they hadn't had their date yet and she wasn't in the best of moods. The day after her nice–who was she kidding, _extremely hot!–_encounter with James in the forest, she'd been delighted.

But now, five days later, she wandered through the Arrow facility and hadn't seen or heard from him in all that time.

_Five days! _she mentally ranted. _Five! Doesn't the man know how to use a phone?!_ Uncertainty dominated her usually confident personality.

_Maybe he backed out? Maybe he just wanted to try physical stuff with _someone, _and now he's off in the wide world doing God knows what? _

Hailey mentally slapped herself.

_No. _

She would not become some desperate, angry woman blaming him for her own insecurities.

_It isn't his fault._

No, it wasn't. Though, the fact that he was insanely handsome didn't help to calm her mind. A lot of people would probably be put off by his cold harshness, but there were always determined souls wh–

_Stop it!_ she chastised herself. Yes, this definitely wasn't helping. Hailey considered asking Zaira if she was able to give some informa–

In her peripheral vision Hailey caught the ball flying through the air, registered that the object slammed against one of the windows of a nearby family unit, understood that it was the ball that caused the window to shatter to a hundred glittering fragments that fell to the ground in razor-sharp shards.

But it was the sound–bright, clinking, piercing,–that crashed into like an uppercut and made her memories lock around her.

_Screams in her mind. Blood dripping from her hands on the dark ground._

Someone called her name but Hailey was frozen in place. She tried to shrug off the cold shiver the flashbacks gave her, tried to suck air deeper into her lungs so her chest didn't hurt so much.

"Hailey!"

Hailey spun around to see who was calling for her. The fast movement made her sway, the light-headed sensation amplified by her shallow breaths. Steadying herself by quickly widening her stance, she bit the inside of her cheek, willing the pain to snap her out of her fear.

Ivy waved and walked towards her, a small, fluffy white dog trotting alongside her. Ivy's expression turned worried, her strides faster as she closed the distance between them. "Hailey? What's wrong?"

Hailey shook her head and rolled her shoulders in an attempt to relieve the anxiety in her body.

_Concentrate on something else. Anything. Focus on Ivy._

Ivy's dark corkscrew curls gleamed in the sunlight; a purple scarf wrapped around her head. She was wearing jeans, flats and a loose tangerine shirt, the color reminding Hailey of Valencia oranges.

Hailey had once read about the Spanish city, where in summertime ripe oranges grew on trees everywhere in the center. At the time, she'd marked the city on a map in an atlas as one of many destinations she'd like to visit someday.

The random piece of information redirected Hailey's thoughts enough for her to concentrate on Ivy's words, anchoring her to the present.

Hailey walked a few steps forward, her movements jerky. "Ivy, it's nice to see you," she managed to say as she looked down, avoiding eye contact with the empath.

Even though Ivy probably wasn't constantly using her empathic abilities, she wasn't blind. And right now, Hailey didn't feel like explaining her messed up psyche to anyone. "Who's this?"

"His name is Rabbit," Ivy said as Hailey went down on her haunches to let the small dog sniff her hand.

"Rabbit?" That made Hailey smile a little, and she scratched the small dog behind his ear, feeling a little more relaxed. "Quiet day?" she casually asked as she got up.

Ivy tipped her head to the side and observed her for a moment, her eyes still big and her mouth a flat line.

Yeah, she'd definitely picked up something.

Hailey shook her head. "Another time."

Ivy's nod was slow. "Deal." Then she rolled her eyes, answering Hailey's earlier question. "I've been doing a lot of work for the Empathic Collective lately and haven't had the chance to come over. I wanted to make an inventory list for the kitchen garden I'll be planting with some of the children. Do you want to come along?"

"I'd love to."

Hailey smiled as she listened to Ivy speak, the tension sliding off her. Ivy had a lot of knowledge of gardening, a skill she'd picked up working in the orchard of the compound where she lived. Ivy often invited Arrows to her and Vasic' home, and sometimes the Arrows brought smaller children along. Ivy's affection for the children was apparent in every word. But more enlightening was what the empath told Hailey about her marriage to her Arrow.

"It's really convenient that we can be together this much even though we both have busy schedules," Ivy said as they reached the garden area.

Hailey fought the twinge of envy she felt towards Ivy and felt the knots in her stomach grow. "I wish I could have that," she said softly, longing in her voice.

Ivy's smile was filled with understanding. "Having trouble with your Arrow?" She knelt to run her fingers over the earth. The area where they stood had already been plowed and was ready to be planted.

Hailey shrugged as she watched Rabbit run around on the grass behind them. "Can't make trouble with him if he isn't here."

A small crease appeared between Ivy's eyebrows when she tilted her head upwards to look at Hailey. "Why is he gone so much? I can't imagine him having that many missions. Vasic told me everything is relatively quiet at the moment."

"I don't know," Hailey said, and felt the knot in her stomach grow.

_No. Don't go there. _

"We haven't had time to talk about it." She picked up the stick Rabbit put at her feet and threw it. Rabbit raced over the field and caught the stick.

"We haven't had time to talk about anything, really. All I know is I feel such a _pull_ towards him, it's insane. We hardly know each other aside from training. I don't even know where he sleeps." She shrugged. "All I know he's a good kisser for someone who's never done it before."

Ivy's warm laugh filled the quiet. Rabbit ran towards her and tilted his head. She picked up the stick he'd brought along and threw it. After dusting off her hands on her jeans, leaving slight streaks on the blue fabric, Ivy got up and scrunched her nose. "If you got that far, I guess you can push him to go a little farther." A teasing smile, but her face turned solemn soon after. "Be patient, Hailey, be gentle. These men and women have had such a hard, cruel life." Copper eyes filled with sympathy. "They've gone through hardships we can't even begin to understand. Now that emotions come into play, it's confusing and difficult for them. Some will embrace the change with ease, but others…"

Hailey looked at the caring, gentle woman next to her and understood. "Others won't."

Hailey just hoped James wasn't one of the latter.

Drying off after a quick shower, James felt… something. A foreshadowing. An uneasy feeling. He quickly got dressed in black jeans and a black shirt. Walking towards Hailey's cabin–

_No. Not the cabin. _

He changed his course and walked into the forest, towards the stream where he'd found Hailey once before.

His muscles ached and his head throbbed, his recent mission bringing him close to a flame out. But choosing to go to sleep wasn't even an option in his mind. Every cell in his body craved contact with Hailey after _wanting_ her for days. The greed clawed at him in the shadows of his soul, seething for being denied what was his.

James stepped over a fallen log as the riverbank came into view. There, between the wildflowers, Hailey was lying in the evening sun.

She was wearing a small sundress; the thin red fabric reached halfway down her thighs and the plaited top was low enough for him to glimpse the upper curve of her luscious breasts.

The darkness bucked inside him, ready to lunge at her, but he kept his cool as his eyes moved from her breasts to the tips of her bare feet, crossed over her slim ankles. His gaze skidded upwards, to her caramel colored thighs, the curve of her stomach, to her arms underneath her head and her long hair, fanned out around her.

He sucked in a deep breath. Watching her, he realized, might not be as satisfying as touching her… but it came very close. Just seeing her was already calming him, soothing the ragged edges of the darkness. Her eyes were closed, and she was listening to music–or so he assumed–with small earplugs. Summoning his Tk, he moved stealthily and swiftly towards her. When he stood over her, she still hadn't noticed him.

Content, James lifted her with his Tk. A small frown appeared between Hailey's dark eyebrows as she lifted her head and moved her arms down, but before she opened her eyes, he rolled her over–belly down–and gently placed her back on the grass.

A gasp and a startled laugh were the confirmation he needed. Even after his absence, she still welcomed him approaching her. Hailey crossed her arms and rested the left side of her face onto them as he lay down on his side next to her in the grass.

She lazily opened one eye. "Hello, Mister Addison."

He lifted her hair from her right shoulder, exposing the soft skin underneath the dark mass. Then he gently removed her earplug and placed it inside his own ear.

The corner of her mouth tugged up as she reached for her organizer. Braced on her elbows she switched to another song, the soft melodies humming in unison with the sounds of the stream and the forest. It was like the music was able to encase them in another layer of intimacy, and James understood a little better why Hailey was so passionate about it.

He moved closer and she turned onto her side towards him as he ran his lips from her neck to her shoulder. "Hello, Miss Logan," he murmured against her skin.

A shudder made her neck arch, and the movement revealed even more of her, made her even more vulnerable to him. Stunned once again by her trust, he pushed her onto her back, gently wrapping his fingers around her throat as he kissed the curve of her shoulder, the taste of her skin unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Salt. Sweet. _Her._

When he lifted his head, their eyes locked, Hailey's golden irises molten with desire. He could feel her pulse racing underneath the delicate skin of her throat, the irregular rhythm matching his own.

She swallowed. "I've missed you." A whispered confession.

James had no idea how to react to her words. _So honest and open. _

He'd never been missed before. Not in the way he thought Hailey meant. And the truth was, he'd missed her too. He had been reluctant to leave the night after their kiss, wanting to be with her more than anything else. But his work for the Squad was too important and he'd made the decision to go along on the mission after all.

Yet, it hadn't felt the same. Being on a mission without knowing when he'd be able to return to her, without being able to reach her, had incited an uncharacteristic restlessness inside him. He'd contacted the Arrow who'd taken over his mentoring duties, had been assured Hailey was making progress and doing fine. Still, it wasn't the same as physically being with her, which made his current position–juggling his mentorship and doing work for the covert team–more complicated than he had anticipated.

_Don't lie to yourself, _the rational voice in his mind said, _it has nothing to do with mentoring her and everything to do with your need for her._

"I can't tell you about my work," he said, though that wasn't entirely true. Yes, his missions were mostly secret but the reason why he wouldn't tell her was far simpler. He didn't want her to know, didn't want her to look at him with disgust or fear.

When Hailey's eyes skated away, James knew he'd said the wrong words. She stirred underneath him and he released her. She removed her earplug and he removed his before gripping her chin, waiting until she'd look at him again.

"I don't know how to do this," he admitted, his muscles taut. "What I do know is that I want to touch you."

Hailey said nothing but pushed at his chest. He moved to sit up, one arm braced on his knee. Hailey sat down in a cross-legged position and looked down for an instant, taking a deep breath.

His need for her was an explosive thing, but again, Hailey feeling safe and acting out conscious volition trumped his own desires. Never again would she look at him with that anxious gaze. Never again would he taste her fear in the air, feel her panic graze over his skin.

She tipped up her head. "I know this is all new for you," she said, her heart in her eyes, "but you can't expect me to do this," she gestured in the air between them, "and not have you talk to me. If you want touch, there are other places you can go. If you want what I have to offer, I want to know things about you."

James grew angry at her insinuation, the greed coiling away in the shadows of his soul. He cupped her chin again, the hold rougher than he'd intended, yet Hailey didn't flinch at his fast movement or his hold. "Do you think I want to do this with anyone else?" He needed to know what she wanted from him, needed to _see _her.

Hailey's face fell and his heart clenched in response.

"I don't know, James. I barely know anything about you." Her eyes turned dark as she pushed away his hand. "Knowing where you are when you vanish for several days is just one part of it. For God's sake, I don't even know how old you are or what your interests are." She shook her head. "And to be honest, I'm scared. I'm falling so hard for you and I don't even know if you want to be with me for me or because you're curious abou–"

He kissed her.

It wasn't slow and coaxing like last time. He kissed her hard, the act coming from the hunger living inside of him, his need to claim her, have her, _hold her_.

One hand gripped her hair, the other moved to cup her jaw. "I'm thirty-two," he said in between kisses, and he kissed her again before she could respond. "I'm interested in you." Another kiss. "Stop overthinking," he sank his teeth in her luscious lower lip and sucked on the plump flesh, making her whimper softly.

When he released her, Hailey was breathless and flushed. Eyes big, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. He pulled her onto his lap, the scent of peonies and cedar filling him with a sense of belonging, pushing away the shadows.

He felt her shaking and stiffened. "Don't cry."

James was aware it sounded like an order, but he didn't know what else to do.

Hailey leaned back as her shoulders shook. "You terrible man!"

Relief broke the tension in his body as he realized she was _laughing _at him_. _If he knew how to scowl, he would have done it. In the meantime, Hailey was still laughing. She pushed at his shoulder.

"Were you trying to comfort me by _commanding_ me to stop crying?" She laughed out loud, a beautiful sound, awakening parts of him that had been slumbering for decades. Then she cupped his face and kissed him softly. "If you don't know what to do, just ask. I promise I'll tell you if you kiss me like that again."

Smiling, she slid her hands down his chest. A warm feeling uncurled inside him at the sweet caress.

"Or if you do other things to me," she said as she waggled her eyebrows. Then her face grew solemn. "I feel insecure because I have no idea how you feel about this, about me."

James wondered how she couldn't see what she was doing to him. The changes in him were so vast, it felt like he was overloading half of the time when he thought of her. Though, the images she'd accidentally sent him and the material in the manual also facilitated that part. They still made his body respond violently every time he'd dare to glimpse them after he'd stored them away in his secure mental vault.

He wanted it, wanted to touch her in the way she'd fantasized. And now he had the opportunity to have her, not just her physical affection, but more. James was as hungry for her smiles, her taunts and her sharp remarks as he was for her body. He wanted all of her and she'd given him the keys to the kingdom by explaining how to make his claim true. He decided to take her up on her advice.

"What do you want me to do?"

She smiled a little shyly and met his gaze as the jade and gold in her eyes glowed. "I need you to tell me." She drew a face. "That sounds really desperate and needy, but really, you don't give much away."

And for the first time in his life, that felt like a disadvantage. "You're beautiful. Especially when you're angry," he added, to see if she would react to his taunt.

Her eyebrow arched. "Well it's a good thing you know how to rile me up then." Her eyes turned big and dark once more, the jade and gold almost gone. "You called me fat."

And he wanted to strangle himself for having said that, for putting hurt in Hailey's eyes. "I said it to incite a reaction from you and I was wrong." He decided to elaborate as he slid one hand up her silky thigh. "At the time, I was unaware," he said as he kissed a small beauty mark on her jaw, "that I have an exclusive preference," another kiss, this one on her cheekbone, "for small and curvy women with jewel-colored eyes and sharp tongues."

She shivered and tunneled her fingers through his hair as he kept kissing down her throat. "And since I was also unaware it was important for me to like or dislike things," he continued as he slid his hand up over the soft curve of her stomach, "I believe you should allow me to rectify my error."

"Rectify away," she murmured, her hands tightening in his hair, holding him close to her. He lightly bit her shoulder and felt her jerk, the motion causing her breast to push against him. James decided he liked that and bit her again; this time he bit her earlobe. A small gasp emerged from Hailey's throat and she moved in his lap, the friction of her buttocks exquisitely abrasive against his constrained erection.

"I wonder if you're soft and succulent everywhere." He dipped his head and kissed the upper slope of her breast, the vicious need for her satisfied by his caresses and her responses. Hailey made a soft, feminine complaining noise when he stopped. He looked up to see her head bent backward.

"You already know I'm not skinny," she whispered as he laid her down on the grass so he could explore her better. Her hands slid from his shoulders to his arms and back, the contact branding him.

James thought about what to say, how to express what he saw when he looked at her. "I don't want you to be skinny," and he kissed the slopes of her breasts again, enjoying the way they quivered with every kiss. He automatically switched to telepathic communication as he continued tasting her delicious skin and discovered the pathway between them was wide open. The trust she gave him, the understanding of how she accepted him… it made his heart tighten. _I want you to be exactly the way you are. I like all your bodily curves and verbal edges. _

He felt his Tk slip slightly when she gasped and grabbed hold of his hair, the pulling sensation exquisite. James lifted his head as he clenched his teeth and tried to concentrate. A gust of wind lifted Hailey's hair.

Hailey pulled him down for a kiss, crushing her body against his. _I like verbally and physically sparring with you… But I believe you'll enjoy this variety of physical sparring as well. _

His erection grew even more tightly in his pants when she arched up and brushed her thigh against him. She slid her hands under his shirt, her warm fingers stroking his stomach. "Can you take this off?" she asked breathlessly as she pulled at his shirt. James didn't know how much control he still had in him but decided to honor her request. Stripping off the piece of clothing, he bent over her again. Her hands caressed his chest, his abdomen, his back. He shuddered at her gentle touches as he watched her, the jade and gold scorching in her eyes.

"I can't believe I'm actually touching you." She looked up at him and scrunched her nose. "The last time wasn't entirely deliberate, was it?"

James shook his head. He knew she was referring to the time when he pulled her out of the river. "No, but the next time will be."

That got him a deep blush and a startled laugh as she stroked and petted him. "You sound way too sure of yourself," she murmured, although the way she was staring at him in open appreciation took the sting out of her words.

"I'll put my shirt back on and leave, then," he said in an attempt to play with her.

Nails trailed down his back, a sensual reprimand from the small woman underneath him who'd always challenge him. "Don't you bloody dare," she snarled, "I've been waiting _five_ days for you!" She pulled him down for a deep, wet kiss. He slid one hand to her lower curves, the soft material of her airy sundress the only impediment for skin-to-skin contact.

Brazen, Hailey placed her hand over his own, moving it until the soft flesh of her buttocks filled his palm, his fingertips digging into the lace fabric covering her. He squeezed, molded and shaped her, shuddering when she moaned and kissed him again.

Drawing back, Hailey panted, "Can you lie down?"

James rolled over on his back and pulled her along, so she was straddling him. When she purposefully moved over his erection with a wicked smile, he clenched his teeth and slammed another burst of Tk into the sky.

Sitting on top of this gorgeous, sexy man as the wind picked up again, Hailey decided she was allowed to discover what he liked a little more. It was as if he got so lost in exploring her, he'd forgotten himself… but she wanted to explore him as well.

"So now we're going to do an exercise," she grinned playfully, "where you have to tell me what you like."

James was lying quietly in the grass, his hands on her hips.

But his _eyes… Oh my. _

They seemed to be devouring her.

She bent forward and kissed him just below his earlobe. When she flicked her tongue over the same spot, his hands tightened on her curves.

"Yes?"

His chest rumbled as he answered, the vibration a small caress to the sensitive flesh of her swollen breasts. "Yes."

She slid further down to kiss his neck, his collarbones, his chest, nipping at some spots and tasting every inch of this beautiful man who was built like he was cut out of marble. Every now and then she'd ask if he liked what she was doing. The answer was the same each time.

Stroking her hands over his pectorals, his golden chest hair tickling her fingertips, she kissed down the ridged planes of his abdomen. "God, this is insane," she murmured as her hands slid down his side, her fingernails lightly scratching his skin. James jerked slightly while the wind roared in the sky above them.

"You're so toned, you even have a v-line." Her fingers traced the path where his abdominal muscles disappeared in his jeans, creating a vee towards his strained erection.

She slid her fingertips underneath his pants, stroking the skin along the inner side of the waistband. The tendons on James' neck stood out starkly against his skin as he processed her touch, his jaw tight.

Thunder boomed overhead.

Hailey bent down further and licked along that same line. She heard a soft groan as James' hand fisted in her hair and lightning lit his beautiful body. Her stomach clenched and she felt dampness pool between her legs at the sound of his enjoyment. She kissed his navel next, flicking her tongue along the outer curve.

"_Hailey." _

Hailey's every cell responded to the warning in his voice. She locked eyes with him while she licked and kissed a trail from his navel do–

In a split second she was lying underneath him, and he was kissing her, consuming her. His teeth grazed her lip, his hips flexing against the apex of her thighs.

Rain poured out of the stormy sky.

Heat rushed through her body, the visceral need for him hypnotizing, clouding everything else. Lifting her hips, Hailey met him, the friction of his erection exquisite as she felt herself grow wetter. James made something close to a growling sound and he pulled down the top half of her dress to reveal her lacy black bra. He tugged down the cup of her bra, releasing her plump breast.

He was on her in a heartbeat; licking, sucking and gently biting the nub of her sensitive nipple.

Hailey felt like she was dying and going to heaven. Whimpering as he bit and then kissed at her again, she dug her nails into the skin above his shoulder blades.

"Wait," she said as a thought shot through her mind while thunder and lightning cracked through the air.

James ignored her as he tugged down the other cup and kissed her neglected breast. Shuddering, Hailey nudged at his shoulders.

"James."

He bit the soft flesh and continued kissing down towards her nipple, the sensitive peak begging for his wicked mouth. Sobbing when he sucked hard on the furled bud, Hailey almost forgot what she wanted to ask, pleasure searing her system, but urgency spiked. Pushing with both hands at his shoulders–_wide, wide shoulders–_Hailey tried again. "James, wait!"

He froze and looked up, black eyes blazing, his cheeks slightly flushed. The air around him jolted, loaded with raw sexual tension, and Hailey understood how her laughter had affected him... as his desire was affecting her now. Her stomach tightened.

_God, he's beautiful. _

"Isn't this hurting you?"

He gave her a _look _she was somehow able to read despite the endless black of his eyes_. _"Who told you about the dissonance?"

She pulled him towards her, demanding a kiss for his arrogance at keeping her in the dark about this. "Play nice," she said as she scratched her nails over his back in reprimand.

Another flash of lightning.

James' head was arched upward, the tendons on his neck starkly standing out and his jaw adamantine. She licked a line from his chest to his chin, kissing, nipping and suckling towards his ear.

"Well?" she whispered as she bit his earlobe, continuing with nipping along the outer shell of his ear. He shuddered, his breath tickling her neck, making her lower body clench, her arousal soaking her panties. She _loved_ the way he responded to her caresses.

"Well, what?"

Hailey smiled against his skin and bit his neck. Hard. He jerked and kissed her roughly, all hard mouth and demanding tongue, his hand holding onto her hair.

Finally, James decided he had taunted her enough, and said, "No, Aden removed the dissonance controls." After that, he continued kissing her.

Breathless she pushed at his chest. "_All _controls?"

James looked at her again, the faintest traces of a scowl on his handsome face. "Who have you been talking to?"

Hailey brushed his hair off his forehead again, enjoying the feeling of his wavy hair against her fingers. "I'll tell you if you let me have my way with you." Her hands itched to explore every inch of his perfect body, to discover what made his breath catch. "Well, only if it doesn't hurt you."

James grabbed hold of her wrist and kissed the tip of her index finger. Her heart swelled at the tenderness this dangerous man had in him.

Yes, she'd been right. He was rough and demanding and able to drive her completely insane by just a little making out, but there was so much need in him, so much desire for her, it worked like the most effective of aphrodisiacs.

Entirely under his spell, she lifted upward and coaxed him with small, sipping kisses. "What if I say pretty please?"

He bit at her lip, his hand clenching in the thick mass of her hair. "I'd be obliged to ask who you are and where you've left Hailey."

"_James," _Hailey chastised, laughter coloring her voice.

"You won't hurt me," he said. There was no way in hell he would decline her offer to do whatever she wanted to him, even though he could feel the pressure inside his head increasing in response to the dissonance. He was too distracted by planning on returning the favor. Multiple times.

He already took great pleasure in everything she was doing to him, was overwhelmed by her generous display of enjoyment of everything he tried on her. James found he couldn't get enough of her, the greed inside him suddenly not so much a separate entity anymore but intertwining deeper to his core.

_Lust. _

Possessive and demanding, wanting all of her.

When she smiled that beaming smile with light in her eyes, he kissed her again. "I concur with your suggestion, only if I can get something in return."

Hailey rolled her eyes. "Always a catch. What do you want?"

He cupped her face and sucked on her lower lip, and it made her whimper and move her body restlessly below him.

_Yes, she's very responsive._

A shiver of satisfaction ran through his body as he kissed her again. "I want to surprise you."

Big eyes went dark. He knew she understood how difficult this was for him, how hard he was trying.

"I'd like that," she said. Then she smiled. "Now, lie down on your back," a nudge against his shoulders, "and let me ravish you."

Ravish seemed to be the proper word, but James had no problems of being on the receiving end of Hailey's sweet torture. With a quick motion she removed her bra, the material of her dress pooling at her waist. She didn't give him the time to run his eyes over her naked body but bent forward to kiss and lick him all over his neck, chest and stomach.

James was able to rein in his Tk a little more, though the word 'control' was debatable, as proven by another flash of lightning when she flicked her tongue over his abdominal muscles. His nerve endings could barely process the contact, but he was able to handle her caresses… until her fingers slid to the button of his jeans. He grabbed her wrists.

Hailey tipped up her head, her lips holding a playful smile. Then she shifted lower between his legs, licked her lips while maintaining eye contact and rubbed her bare breasts against his still-clad erection.

The sky seemed to crack open and a bolt of lightning crashed into the ground next to them.

James shielded them with his Tk as the dissonance lashed out in his head, but it was worth every stab of pain to witness such an erotic sight, to experience such explosive pleasure.

James was so distracted by the shockwaves surging through his body, he barely noticed Hailey had taken the opportunity to remove and throw away his boots and socks, settling herself between his legs again. It took every ounce of control from his Arrow training to hold his Tk steady.

When Hailey unbuttoned his pants, James realized he'd released her the moment his Tk had snapped out of control, his hands in white-bracketed fists beside him. Before he could move she released his strained erection from his pants, and he saw stars. Fisting her hair in his hands, he hissed out a breath between his teeth when she gently wrapped her hand around his penis.

"Hailey." James wasn't even sure if he was asking her to stop or to keep on going. His jaw clenched while blasting another burst of Tk into the air, his voice husky and his heart slamming dangerously fast.

"No, you promised." A wicked smile on her lips as she met his eyes, jade dominant and her irises luminescent in the fading daylight. She moved her hand. And the pleasure was excruciating, her soft hand the sweetest of prisons as she stroked him.

"Don't worry so much," she said as she kissed his abdomen and moved her hand again. "Let go of your control for once." Another kiss, this time lower.

Then she covered him with her mouth and sucked, her plump lips enclosing his painfully hard erection. And nothing James had ever learned in training could have prepared him for the feeling of pure ecstasy crashing into him, as every muscle in his body went taut.

Hailey was lying half on top of James' chest, her head on his broad shoulder. His hand was wrapped possessively around her waist, the other behind his head. She inhaled his scent deeply, oak moss and sandalwood evident in the shirt she'd stolen from him after sliding out of her dress. James had buttoned up his pants again, his chest bare.

This intense man captivated her. He was so unique, so other from anyone she'd ever met. He was protective, strong and more altruistic than he gave himself credit for.

She thought about the moment when he'd climaxed. A hurricane had formed around them as her lips caressed the most intimate part of him, but he'd protected her from all the changes in the weather from the start with a telekinetic shield. His eyes had turned black the moment she'd straddled him, every muscle taut as he surrendered to her.

She loved the fact that he let her touch him, that he trusted her enough to be vulnerable. It seemed like an important step for him, considering that he was an elite soldier, always vigilant. But she didn't think it would take long for him to take over, since he was such a dominant man.

"I shouldn't arrange for a prostitute, then?" she asked while she ran her fingers over his jaw.

James bit her ring finger for that. "No," he said as Hailey laughed.

"Still so eloquent," she teased. She lifted a little, her head leaning on her hand while she drew small patterns on his chest. "The storm, it was you, wasn't it?"

James' hand reached towards a strand of her hair, answering while weaving the tendril between his fingers. "I directed my Tk into the air. The surge of power causes changes in the atmosphere. Does it bother you?"

"No," she answered truthfully. James had never hurt her–not intentionally. He'd always protect her. "Does it hurt?"

James closed his eyes. "No."

Hailey tugged at his chest hair. "You know I'm not referring to your telekinesis." She narrowed her eyes when he remained silent and tugged his chest hair again.

His eyes flicked open and gave her a hard look. "My threshold to physical interaction is still low. It'll get better in time."

Hailey's eyes widened. "Then I _did_ hurt you just now!" A whisper of anger shuddered through her. "Why did you lie to me?"

He rolled over so she was the one lying in the grass and studied her, the azure blue back in his intense gaze. "You would have stopped," he said as he traced her lips with his thumb, "and I didn't want you to stop."

His words made her heart ache. For all his control and cold behavior, Hailey had learned James was actually very tactile. He was as touch hungry as she was, especially after a life where affectionate touch would have been out of the question for him. And now he was finally able to have what he longed for, only he'd get hurt by the dissonance controls in his mind.

"You can't lie to me about those things. Relationships are built on trust. How can I be sure you're telling the truth about other things when you're lying to me about the dissonance?" She lifted her hand to cup his cheek and smiled deeply when he leaned into her hold a little.

"It will get better," he reassured her as he turned to kiss her palm. "Will you do the same?" he asked, unspoken things hidden in his deep blue eyes, but she saw the vulnerability, saw the effort it cost him to expose himself.

Hailey arched up and kissed him, needed to be close to him, to cherish the man she saw under the layers of conditioning and hardships. "I've never been anything but honest with you, you know that," she said, but added, "Yes. I promise."

Waves of blond hair fell over his forehead when she drew back. It made him look younger, gave Hailey another glimpse of the man he was.

"Then I will promise to do the same," he said, and Hailey felt like she'd received a gift James rarely shared.

She smiled and sighed at the sight of him. "You're really beautiful, do you know that? I wonder how I'm supposed to keep other women from drooling over you." She weaved her fingers through his hair.

He kissed her, intense and rough, his brand of kisses deliciously familiar by now. "If they have the same response you had when we first met, you have nothing to worry about." He stroked her cheek with his knuckles.

Hailey choked in her laughter. "You're terrible!" she accused. "Did you do that on purpose?" She found she was curious about that, curious about every little thing this passionate and intense Arrow had to say.

_Her Arrow._ She smiled at that thought.

_Yes. That applies to your question and your possessive thoughts. _

Hailey let out a small cry, so caught off guard by his deep, dark voice in her mind that she had no time to be frightened of the intrusion. "You can't just invade my mind! That's really unethical! I thought Psy had rules about that stuff!"

He kissed her again. "You're the one who's broadcasting. And I can, since you're mine," he said before he sucked on her lower lip. She moaned softly when he continued kissing her throat, gently biting the curve where her neck connected to her shoulder.

A rush of thoughts cascaded through Hailey's head at his words, her heart heavy. She cupped his face to pull him up. James came along, bracing his arms on either side of her head.

"You can't say stuff like that," she said while she traced the line of his jaw in order to avoid making eye contact.

Hailey found she was defenseless against him. It had been that way from the moment she'd pushed back and stood up against his brutish comments. She had no walls, nowhere to hide from her feelings for him. He could even come and go inside her head whenever he wanted. She had no power whatsoever, their relationship out of balance. And that felt like leaping into the abyss, because he gave so little away.

"Hailey," James snapped her to attention. She looked into those _gorgeous _eyes and felt naked. "You're overthinking again," he stated.

A spike of irritation uncurled inside her, her voice a sneer. "What if I am?"

"Stop." It was an order.

"No." She stuck out her chin and held his gaze.

His eyes gleamed and she saw the corner of his mouth tug a little. Surprise washed over her, her heart clenching at the sight of his minimal emotional display. "You're smiling," she whispered in awe. James kept looking at her when she traced his lips. "You're doing a really bad job at it, but you _smiled_!"

"You're changing the subject," James said as he brushed his knuckles past her cheek again. He was silent for a moment, then said, "You felt uncomfortable at my telepathic communication."

Hailey shook her head. "No, it's not that." She scrunched her nose. "Well, not _only _that. I hate the fact that you hold all the power in our relationship."

James' eyes hardened. "How did you arrive at that conclusion?"

Hailey shrugged. "Well, if I 'broadcast', it's like I'm open twenty-four hours to you. And I'm still insecure about your feelings towards me." She sighed. "There's a little voice in my head that keeps telling me your interest doesn't reach further than being physical for the sake of being physical." She shrugged again. "How can I be sure you want _me_ if you've never had the opportunity to interact in such an open way with other people?"

Staring at the sky, Hailey watched stars gleaming in the darkness of the night. "That's why your comment set me off. You shouldn't say I'm yours until you're certain. Otherwise…" She cut herself off before she could get any more desperate. Blood rushing to her cheeks, she covered her face with her hands. "God, I'm so sorry. I just can't help feeling this way. I think you're right, feeling sucks. Maybe I should try being Silent."

James coughed. "I don't believe you'd survive the conditioning process."

Hailey peeked through her fingers at his expressionless face, but for his eyes, bright and glistening. "You're laughing at me!" She pushed at his chest.

He angled his body to the left, lying next to her on his side, his head braced on his hand. Then he took her hand and pressed a kiss on her palm. "I wouldn't dare, Miss Logan." The dark hum of his voice addressing her in her formal title made her shiver. James placed her hand on his chest, right over his heart. "You are aware I've been interacting with other people for most of the thirty-two years I've been alive?"

Hailey arched her eyebrow. "Yeah, so?"

"No one has ever tempted me to do this." He bent over and kissed her. "Or this," he murmured as he kissed her jaw while his hand stroked her hip, his hand curling around to squeeze the voluptuous curve of her butt.

"Oh." She felt her heart clench, warmth unfurling in her stomach. _God, you're falling so hard for him._

_Good to know. As for the telepathic contact, _he said as his mind touched hers while continuing kissing her, tasting her skin, _I don't fully understand how it is possible that we're connected. It's second nature to me to reach out. _Hailey closed her eyes and arched up in his kisses, tunneling her hands in his hair and holding him close to her. "But if it distresses you, I won't do it," he murmured against her neck. He lifted his head. "Though I do believe it is imperative you improve your shielding."

Then he gripped her chin. "Look at me, Hailey." Hailey opened her eyes, his gaze intense as he brushed her lower lip with his thumb. "As for your last worry," his low-pitched voice holding every ounce of attention in Hailey's being, "you _are_ mine_. _There can be no misunderstanding about that."

Hailey's heart swelled at the intensity of his proprietary words. "Okay." She kissed him, her lips brushing his softly. "Thank you."

As he observed her, she remembered something… and decided to play with him a little. "But you did call me fat. You still have a long road of redemption to walk before I forgive you for that."

"I was told women have an accurate memory of the things men say."

Hailey narrowed her eyes. That was _so _not true. "Who told you that?"

"Arrows take their secrets to their grave," he said coolly.

Laughter bubbled up inside her, her shoulders shaking. "How is it possible I ever thought you were made of stone?" She yawned, suddenly tired.

James pulled her close, her back against the warmth of his chest. "Sleep. We have to start training early tomorrow."

Hailey slept encased in the safe warmth of James' embrace and his telekinetic shield, and for the first time in months, the nightmares didn't haunt her.

The next morning was like waking up in a dream. Hailey felt amazing and refreshed after sleeping for a full night. James had kissed her awake at dawn, but they hadn't been able to leave it at one kiss. Breathless and flushed they'd broken it off before they renounced their duties, since both had classes to teach.

James told her he'd spoken with Aden and volunteered to shield her more extensively so she wouldn't be able to lash out without his knowledge, thus providing her with a safety net. Hailey was extremely happy to teach again and agreed with James' solution. She'd missed interacting with the children and was eager to continue her classes.

After discussing their schedule, they decided to shower before breakfast.

"You could come with me," Hailey said as warmth crept up her cheeks. The leaves on the forest floor made crackling sounds underneath her colorful beaded sandals. She'd kicked them off yesterday evening before lying down in the grass and had found them again this morning. They were a little damp because they hadn't been encased in James' shield during the storm, but Hailey didn't mind. She'd choose wet shoes over dry ones any time if it meant she could experience the sensation of James' body under her hands and see the man behind the ice.

She was still wearing his shirt, the hem skimming her thighs and her legs bare, while carrying her bra, dress, earplugs and organizer in one hand, relishing in the seductive scent of him. The fingers of her other hand were intertwined with James', his hold gentle but possessive nonetheless, just as she'd imagined he would be.

A shudder ran though her frame when she thought back to the intimacies they'd shared. Hailey was delighted being this close to him, joy bursting out of her skin. He made her feel… whole.

James looked at her. "I'm not sure I'd survive having you naked in the same building," he said in response to her earlier invitation, his tone factual. "I'm not sure the valley would survive."

Hailey grinned. "Maybe we should finally go on that date, then."

In a flash, James had her caged between a tree and his big body. His lips pressed roughly on hers, his hunger evident. She moaned when he squeezed her butt, his fingers brushing her black lace panties. Hailey dropped her stuff to the ground–using a touch of her Tk to let them land gently–and ran her nails softly over James' back as he kissed her neck.

"At this rate, we're never going to shower," she mock-complained.

She let out a small cry when he lifted her and trapped her between his body and the tree again, her legs wrapped around his hips. James' hand shifted a fraction lower, his fingers slightly pressing against the entrance of her body but for the piece of lace covering her. Hailey knew full well it did nothing to hide her dampness, her panties soaked with arousal from their earlier make-out session.

She whimpered when he drew little circles with his fingers on the piece of fabric, her body moving restlessly. Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned her head back and shivered at the most exquisite torment of his fingers.

She looked at him from hooded eyes. "How do you even know what to do?" she asked, her voice husky and breath choppy.

Then his fingers skidded below the fabric, his fingertips on the plump wetness of her delicate folds. He softly stroked her, and she moaned. _"James."_ A sensual plea, an unhidden request for more.

"There are certain manuals," he said, his breath caressing her ear as he kissed her neck. "They are most useful, but nothing comes close to watching you."

His fingers slid through the desire-swollen slickness and the wind picked up around them, the rustling of leaves filling the air. "I've read about a certain part," his deep voice sounding a little rough, "that is supposed to give you extreme pleasure."

Hailey wanted to laugh but couldn't, not with his hand caressing her so exquisitely. "Men often have problems finding tha– Ah!" A startled cry escaped her throat when he flicked his finger over the sensitive nub of her clitoris. He started circling it and she felt wetness slithering down her thighs.

James' eyes were darkening, black spreading throughout the whites of his eyes. She was barely aware of the wind swiping against her face when he slightly pressed his finger against the entrance of her body. Tipping her head back and gripping his hair, she gasped for air when he slid in his finger. He carefully moved inside her.

"Oh, God, you're torturing me," she accused.

He added a second finger as she moaned and clenched her internal muscles on him.

"Do you 'like' that?" James' teasing, dark voice made her womb clench and her internal muscles spasm as she whimpered and moved on his fingers.

_I will take that as a 'yes'_, his voice in her mind. The sopping sound of his fingers pumping faster inside her made her blush, but _oh, God, _it added to the erotic rush in burning through her body.

"I'm going to kill you," she managed to get out. She kissed him, licked out at his tongue. Drunk on his taste, he was her ultimate high.

Hailey didn't quite know how, but he had opened the buttons of his shirt and was kissing her breasts while still moving his fingers inside her and holding her up. She felt her body coiling tightly when he grazed his teeth over her nipple, and flicked a finger–_how was he doing that?!–_over her clitoris again. Hailey cried out.

James looked up at her. She met the blackness of his eyes and right at that moment all the exquisite sensations stroked her in unison. A pinching on her nipples, circles brushing over her clitoris, his fingers still moving inside her in a punishing rhythm and the heat in the blackness of his gaze.

The sky above them boomed, thunder crashed through the air and rain fell down in the forest around them.

But Hailey was too distracted to notice, James' voice resonating in her mind. _I want to watch your orgasm, Hailey. Come for me._

Hailey sobbed, the intensity of the sensations overloading her system and releasing in a wave of agonizing ecstasy as she came, screaming out his name.

James held Hailey as she came down from her climax. He gently removed his fingers from her before he readjusted the lace piece of fabric covering her.

She was breathing heavily, causing a tickling sensation against his skin. Her arms were wrapped around him, her forehead leaning against his shoulder and her legs hanging limp.

When she looked up her eyes were pure gold, no adornments needed for this unique woman that carried gemstones in her eyes and who herself was the most beautiful jewel of them all.

"That," she sighed, "was the most incredible orgasm of my life." She brushed her lips over his. "Thank you."

She cuddled up against him, and he held her until she released her legs from his hips as she murmured they had to get going. James lowered her onto the ground but kept his arms locked around her a little longer–just because he could–as he felt something inside his body expand at the feeling of her, finally in his arms.

Finally his.


	19. Chapter 17

17

_Hailey. _

Hailey smiled, getting more used to hearing James' beautiful voice within the walls of her mind. Every time he touched her mind, it was like she was being immersed in the most decadent of whiskey creams, smooth and powerful and a little rough. The fact that his voice alone could flick all her switches made things in her lower body twitch. Especially when he'd use that voice to whisper all kinds of dirty and hot things in her head.

After James had showed her heaven and brought her back to earth again, they'd walked back from their night in the forest. And Hailey wasn't the least bit sorry that Nerida and Yuri had seen them sneak out of the woods. She'd kissed James goodbye in a display of open possession, and he'd kissed her back just as possessively before they went for that shower.

Happiness made butterflies constantly flutter in her stomach. It made her feel like a teenager but she couldn't help it. She was so hung up on him, she barely believed the past eighteen hours had actually happened. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was scared someone would wake her up and tell her it had all been a dream.

_Wow, Hales. Insecure much?_

Hailey thought about what James had said, how he'd claimed her.

"_You're mine, Hailey. There can be no misunderstanding about that."_

When he'd spoken those words, it felt like he was branding her soul. And God yes, she wanted to be his. She wanted him to be hers, too. Hailey now considered that disbelieving his words would be like disputing his claim. James wasn't someone who made choices without confidence and certainty–he was way too pragmatic for that. Aside from that, he promised her he'd speak the truth.

Sitting on the grass with a small group of teenage Arrows after her class, she tipped up her head towards the handsome man who was walking her way, his body moving in a lethal and beautiful rhythm.

_No_, Hailey said to herself. _No more doubt in your heart or mind. Leap into this great unknown and be brave, be bold and fearless. He's caught you more than once, he will not let you fall._

She motioned the girl who was plaiting small braids in her hair to wait when she saw James' face. His features remained mostly expressionless, but she recognized the serious look in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

James extended a hand to haul her up. "Aubry contacted me," he said when she stood. "He requested you to call him."

Hailey shook her head. "You know I'm not allowed to contact anyone while I'm staying here. I even agreed not to use the ShadowNet."

"I've been told it's a pressing matter. Considering the circumstances, we are making an exception."

Hailey raised her eyebrows. "We?"

James didn't respond to her question but pulled her along instead, his big hand warm, covering her smaller hand almost entirely. Hailey barely had time to say goodbye to the children as she adapted her strides to his. "Where are we going?" she asked as she looked up.

"To my room," his voice brusque.

"That sounds like an invitation," Hailey found herself saying, joking in an attempt to break through the tension. Aubry told her he'd only contact in case of emergencies and Hailey couldn't figure out what could be so important.

Feeling antsy, she unclasped their hands and quickly secured her hair in a messy bun. When she was done, James took her hand again and laced his fingers through hers. The contact made her stomach clench.

_Possessive man._

They walked into a larger building that required a security code and a scan of James' face before they could enter. Walking though the corridor, several Arrows passed them and greeted James. Several also stared.

Long.

"Are you even allowed to bring me here?" Hailey asked, feeling more than a little uneasy when the eyes of a cardinal soldier went entirely black as he gawked at her.

"I don't care." James walked around a corner and tugged her along. "Come."

She scowled at his curt tone but said nothing as they walked into a hall to the left of the main corridor. James stopped in front of the fourth door in the hallway and scanned his palm. Something clicked and the door opened.

James' room had the feel of a studio apartment, the space open with white walls and lights built into the ceiling, dimming and glowing depending on your movements in the room. Hailey stepped into a small hallway where several black jackets were neatly hanging on a coat rack. On the floor stood two pairs of military style boots. She stifled her smile by biting her lip. Her Arrow definitely needed a wardrobe change.

_But black does look good on him…_

Her eyes scanned the rest of the space. There was a large window with grey curtains on the opposite side of the hall. To the right was a door she assumed to be the bathroom. Hailey walked farther inside and watched James stride to the left, where a comm device hung on the wall next to a single bed.

There were several datapads neatly stacked on a side table to her right. She looked around the room and only found bare necessities: a white closet with doors and several drawers, a small table with three chairs and a nightstand next to the bed. Nothing in the room was out of place; even the bed was made up with military-neat precision.

"Wow. You have some serious decorating skills," she said as she turned around again to see if she could discover anything personal.

Strong, muscular arms wrapped around her and his lips brushed her ear as he spoke. "You can teach me." James pressed a kiss on the sensitive skin behind her ear. "Just like you can teach me other things."

She shivered and leaned into his embrace. _God_, she thought, _that man's voice should be absolutely illegal. _Every syllable felt like a stroke against her skin, and when he was aroused, his vocal range would dip even lower, edged with sinful roughness, raw heat crashing against every erogenous zone. He could read a cooking recipe and make it sound like pure sex, slick heat, skin grazing against skin. Hailey shuddered. He'd probably have her soaked after naming the ingredients alone.

Tilting her head back, she watched him, studying the hard line of his jaw, his golden skin, his dark blond eyebrows and eyelashes. A gleam appeared in James' eyes when she licked her suddenly dry lips.

Hailey heard a thumping sound and realized James had lifted his bed with Tk to redirect his response to her. Her hands moved to rest on his thighs and she squeezed lightly, the sensation of his hard muscles underneath her hands enough to light the embers in her stomach.

"No." He nudged her towards the comm screen. "I've input the number; you can start the call when you're ready."

She rolled her eyes. "You're no fun, being all disciplined and in control."

_On the contrary, Miss Logan, _she heard within her mind as she tapped on the screen–while fighting the urge to jump him for using her formal title again, the darkness in his voice making abdomen tighten, _I __have very little restrain when it comes to you._

The butterflies fluttering in her stomach took a nosedive when she saw Aubry's grim face. His features softened a little when he greeted her.

"Well, hello Miss Logan," Aubry' southern accent was apparent in each word.

"Hi Aubry. It's good to see you."

He inclined his head as his eyes focused on James. "I take it the Squad has been treating you well?"

Hailey took a quick glance over her shoulder to the man standing diagonally behind her and felt warmth rushing to her cheekbones. James looked as dangerous and statuesque as ever, but for a black ops Psy soldier, he was standing very close to her.

Clearing her throat, she nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Training has been going well."

_Has it really? _Familiar melodies echoing in her head.

_Shut up, _she snapped without heat, a small smile around her lips.

She watched Aubry's eyes narrow as he took in the both of them. He must have noticed something was off but didn't comment on it when he replied he was happy she was making progress.

_Stop it, this is serious,_ Hailey chastised James.

He said nothing…but touched her hand just out of sight of the screen.

_Terrible man._

"Aubry, I was told this isn't a friendly check-up. What's going on?"

The usually good-natured man on the other side of the screen frowned. "Yes, you're right. Shane asked me to contact you. Morgan is in the hospital."

Hailey went motionless. Shane's younger brother was a sweet, gentle sixteen-year-old. But teenagers had a way of getting themselves into trouble, even the gentle ones. "What happened?"

James' hand folded around hers and she absently squeezed it, her attention on Aubry.

Aubry's head tilted a little, his drawled words still apparent but he was more to the point than she'd ever heard. "He had multiple seizures. Nobody knows how or why. He'd been complaining of headaches for a couple of weeks, but their doctor couldn't find anything obvious. After the last seizure he hasn't woken; that was two days ago."

Aubry shook his head, his eyes bleak. "It looks serious, Hailey. His vitals seem to be declining; some organs look like they might shut down soon. The medics and M-Psy are at a loss, they haven't seen anything like this before."

Hailey's breath caught, her heart in the ice-cold grip of fear and worry. Morgan was such a young boy, still had his entire life ahead of him. The thought of him having an unknown, incurable disease made her head spin.

"What about Glen?" she asked quietly, referring to Dr. Glen Herriford, who ran the medical floor at the Shine Foundation.

Aubry shook his head. "He tried but couldn't find anything either. He'll keep running tests but so far, we have nothing to work with." Which meant that whatever was happening to Morgan wouldn't stop anytime soon.

Shane had to be going through a really hard time right now. Shane and Morgan were very close, especially after their mother had left when Shane was seventeen.

Guilt seeped into Hailey's system. Shane was worried sick while she'd been tumbling with her Arrow.

She wet her dry throat and replied to Aubry. "Shane must be heartbroken. Of course I'll be there for them," she said. After receiving the location of the hospital Morgan was currently being treated, Hailey switched off the screen.

"You're worried," James said as he stepped around to face her and studied her features.

"Yes." Hailey was unable to talk about the topic right now, her head whirling from everything Aubry had told her. She looked up and met James' gaze. "I have to go."

James inclined his head. "I'll make the arrangements."


	20. Chapter 18

18

Requesting permission to enter New York territory for the duration of forty-eight hours to escort a low-profile civilian.

Permission granted.

\- Exchange of messages between the Arrows communication team and the WaterSky Eagles.

"Hi, Witch," Shane said, calling Hailey by the nickname she'd received from him when she'd tutored him in high school. "It's good to see you." He hugged her and smacked a quick kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for coming." His distinctive raspy voice sounded more raw than usual.

They were standing in the hallway outside of Morgan's room, the typical scent of hospital lingering in the mint green colored space. Several staff members dressed in white garments walked past them as Shane leaned against the wall beside the door.

Taking in her friend, she saw he looked _bad_. His eyes were red and there were dark bruises underneath them, his skin ashen. The blue shirt Shane wore was crumpled, and there was dark stubble on his chin where he usually preferred a crisp, clean-shaven look. Hailey was relieved she had been able to come over this quickly

In less than two hours James had arranged everything for her, including another nauseating teleport to an extraction point in the city. He'd made sure his schedule was clear for the day as he accompanied her. They hadn't spoken much during their drive to the hospital, mainly because Hailey was still dazed by the fact that Morgan was in a coma-like state.

James had been gentle with her, an odd but welcome experience. He'd embraced her when they stood in front of the hospital. He hadn't said anything, but that was alright. He didn't have to. He was being there for her, there with her. Hailey was extremely grateful for his support, glad he understood her need to be with her friend right now as she focused her attention on said friend.

She smiled shakily at Shane as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I'm glad that I was able to come. I'm so sorry, Shane." A tremor ran through her voice. "Has there been any news about Morgan's progress?"

Shane shook his head, his fashionably styled jet-black hair falling across his forehead. "They don't know what's wrong, don't know how to help him." Hailey saw the light in his green eyes dim even farther, his voice a hoarse rasp. "I can't lose him, Hales. He's my baby brother."

Tears stung in Hailey's eyes as she embraced her best friend again. She knew the dark memories of his mother's sudden departure still haunted him. There were only so many hurts a person was able to endure, and Hailey was scared Morgan's current state could push Shane over the edge to closing his heart off for good. "The medics and Glen, they'll keep looking, right? Keep trying?"

Shane scraped his throat when she pulled away. "Yeah, but they haven't found anything yet." He frowned as his eyes focused behind her. "Did you have to bring a bodyguard?"

Hailey looked over her shoulder to James, who was standing in front of the wall across from them in order to give them privacy.

James was wearing a different outfit from his usual uniform; the black cargo pants were similar, but instead of his uniform jacket, he wore a black armor chest plate. He looked like he was ready to go into battle at any given moment. His posture was straight, his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes were hard, distant. He was every inch the tall, vigilant, deadly soldier.

Their eyes locked for a brief moment, and Hailey could tell something was bothering him. "Something like that," she muttered as she looked at her friend again, mentally noting to check up on James later. "How have you been holding up?"

Shane's eyes were directed at the floor. "Barely slept." He rubbed his hands over his face and pushed back his hair, the dark strands absorbing the light from the bright white lamps in the corridor's ceiling. "I feel so guilty for writing Morgan's complaints off. I thought he was staying up a little too late, you know, hanging around with friends."

Dark green eyes met hers, red streaks in the white of his eyes. "We were just discussing which pizza we wanted to order for dinner. All of a sudden, he collapsed and had a seizure. I commed the emergency number while I rushed him to the hospital–no fucking way I was going to sit on my ass and wait for an ambulance–and he had another seizure in the car. He hasn't woken since."

A beep sounded from the room and Shane's head whipped up. Hailey placed her hand on his arm. "You go inside, I'll get you something to eat."

She waited until Shane had entered the room before walking over to James.

_What's wrong?_ she asked as she leaned her shoulder against the wall where he was standing, crossing her arms in front of her chest. The shimmer of energy radiating from his body was almost tangible, his shoulders stiff and his jaw set.

He didn't look at her when he answered. _You extended him skin privileges._

Hailey bit back a surprised smile–even though James' telepathic voice was coated with enough ice to freeze her on the spot.

Skin privileges_. _

It was a changeling term. Hailey wondered how familiar James was with changelings and their behavioral patterns. If he was, it was clear he didn't understand the context of the touches Shane and she had exchanged.

_Yes_, she answered, _I've known Shane half a lifetime. He's like a brother to me._

She lifted her hand in an automatic response to calm James, to comfort him with touch, but caught herself as she wondered if the contact might be undesired from his end right now.

When James shot her a hard look–from which she could gather he _very_ clearly noticed her hesitation–she winced.

_The touch, the interest, it isn't romantic_, Hailey explained. Just the thought of her and Shane interacting like that made her want to snort in negative. _Eww. _No, that was never the kind of relationship she'd had with her brother from another mother.

James kept on staring her down with that icy glare, as if he was one of the changeling alphas subduing his subordinates into submission.

_Ha! Not in a million years!_

Apparently, he was having a hard time with this, and therefore had decided to give her a hard time in return.

Determination pulsed through her system and she walked around the corner in the knowledge that he'd follow her, protect her, to a small alcove she'd spotted when they'd walked through this corridor on arrival. She wanted some privacy for the next bit.

Quickly jumping behind the wall of the alcove, she waited for James to appear before she pounced on him, pushing him against the wall with use of a little Tk. Of course, she didn't actually surprise him much. If he'd wanted to stop her, he could have done so ten times over. The fact that he let her gave Hailey hope.

When she cupped his face, he stared at her in an utterly unimpressed fashion, his gaze still distant and hard.

"Stop it," she whispered as she rose on tiptoe, bracing her hands on the hard surface of his armor, and brushed her lips across his jaw. _Just in case it wasn't clear, I want _you. It was a pointed growl.

She placed small kisses on the clean-shaven surface, as if she was attempting to soften the stiffly clenched bones underneath that smooth skin.

He didn't thaw.

So she bit him, sank her teeth in his neck, the rough caress meant to snap him out of his silence.

Still nothing, James' body distant in a way that was all too familiar. It felt like an iron brush rubbing against her senses, scraping them raw when he didn't respond to her needs. She didn't believe he was doing it on purpose; he was simply unable to deal with life in the normal world. However, that didn't make it hurt less.

Frustration spiking, Hailey arched back a little and studied James before coming up with a new course of action.

Brushing his hair off his forehead, she ran her fingers across his temple and cheek before cupping his chin. She needed to connect with him, _see_ him in order to know if her plan was working.

Hailey opened herself up telepathically and sent James the images inside her mind. _This is Shane and me._

Pictures of her and her friend appeared in front of her mind's eye, sitting on a wall in the park as they ate ice cream. She recalled the argument they'd had that day; it had been about a movie they'd seen.

They were laughing and nudging at each other's shoulders, her hand patting Shane's cheek as she smirked after she'd verbally destroyed his arguments about who'd been the hero in the movie.

James' jaw worked underneath her hand but she tightened her hold on him to snap him to attention.

_This_, she said with more than a little irritation in her telepathic voice,_ is you and me._

He wasn't blocking the contact, so Hailey channeled the images while also attempting to share the underlying emotions. It was a memory of a training session they'd had where she had to levitate the coins while he 'struck' her for every coin that fell.

James' big hand was wrapped around her throat, where he'd been able to place it after she had–once again–dropped her guard. All the levitating coins had fallen to the ground, his action making her focused Tk slip.

They stood within an arm's length from each other, not touching in any shape or form other than his hand , firm but gentle, around the column of her neck.

He released her but didn't step back as he spoke. It had been one of his infamous harsh comments, to which she'd responded with acerbic swiftness.

"_Your Tk is coming in bursts rather than a constant flow. Change it."_

"_I don't think you'll be able to handle anything other than me coming in bursts."_

The result of the interaction had them staring at each other, her cheeks full red as she'd caught the ambiguity of her impulsive reply. His gaze had glimmered with a ferociousness she now knew was pure, unadulterated hunger.

It had made her skin pebble in response, her pulse jerking and heat rushing through her body. His look alone had felt like he was stroking her in all the right places. Her lips had parted, her breath jagged and her mouth dry. She'd bitten her lower lip and had seen his eyes flick towards that spot before he'd turned around, ending the moment between them.

The intimacy hadn't been in touch. It had been in the cadence of their words, in the raw desire in their eyes, in the magnetic pull that caused the electrically charged air to crackle between them.

_Touching_, she said as she ran the fingers of her other hand from his clenched fist to his shoulder, _is rarely a sexual act. _

Keeping his gaze through the telepathic contact, she saw the storm of emotions blazing in azure. She released his chin and went to pet his chest but found herself unable to do so because of the armor he was wearing. She rested her fisted hand on the hard surface.

James still hadn't spoken a word, hadn't moved an inch.

Hailey sighed. "Alright." This wasn't the time or place to do this, and she needed to take care of her friend right now. "You go back to being cold and angry. I'm going to find a vending machine to get Shane something to eat." She tilted her head a little to the side. "The longer you make me wait, the more annoyed I'll get," she warned before she turned around.

James followed her back to the hallway of Morgan's room in silence and took his place across from the door again, his hands folded behind his back and his legs slightly spread.

She scowled.

_Aggravating man. _

No, her annoyance probably wasn't entirely fair, given the fact that James was hardly used to interacting on a different level from giving incident reports and ordering people what to do. But the fact that he wasn't even willing to respond to her efforts had her gritting her teeth to the point where her jaw started to strain.

Hailey walked over to the vending machine on the other end of the hallway and punched in the code for her bank account. She selected three energy bars and an orange, figuring Shane must probably be kind of hungry.

After taking the food out of the machine she walked back while forcing herself not to look at James. She wasn't some doe-eyed sucker that would fall to her knees and beg forgiveness for angering milord. Fuck that.

Stubbornly sticking out her chin, she placed her hand on the door handle of Morgan's room. When she went to open the door, Hailey saw James stir from the corner of her eye.

_No. They have enough on their plate. Wait for me, please._ There wasn't a chance in the world that she'd upset Shane by putting him in the same room as James right now. Unintentionally, James would make Shane feel uncomfortable while Shane was already in a dark place. She scowled at that thought as she stepped inside the room.

Painted the same mint green shade as the corridor, Morgan's room was filled with medical equipment. The bed stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by screens showing graphs and other data. Next to the bed stood two large chairs. Shane sat slumped down in the one closest to his brother.

Narrow tubes were connected to Morgan's arms, iv's which were probably supplying him with fluids in order to keep him alive. Two silver colored spheres stuck to his temples, a small blue light flicking on and off every few seconds.

Inhaling deeply, Hailey stared at the teenage boy lying in the bed. The dark tan of his complexion had turned pale, his cheekbones standing out razor sharp and deep, dark circles marked the skin underneath his eyes. Morgan's hair was the same jet-black as Shane's, but it looked dull and damaged.

When Hailey took Morgan's hand, she felt the fine bones of his fingers stand out. She could tell he'd lost a tremendous amount of weight. It was like some entity had literally and figuratively sucked all of the life out of this kind, gentle boy… and no one knew what to do to stop it.

A wave of sadness and worry flooded Hailey. She wasn't consciously aware of crying until Shane pulled her into his embrace.

"Don't cry, Hales. It'll be alright."

Hailey threw the energy bars and orange on the chair next to the bed and quickly wiped away her tears, feeling stupid for crying when Shane needed her to be strong. "I'm sorry. It's just…"

Shane let out a deep breath. "I know." He released her and sat down in his chair again, reaching over to the other chair to grab the food. He placed the items on a table next to Morgan's bed and unwrapped one of the energy bars.

"Are you going back home?" Hailey asked as she sat down, ready to offer to stay with Morgan for the night.

Shane owned a house just outside of Manhattan in Brooklyn Heights, near the docks. On a quiet day, Hailey estimated it would take him half an hour to drive to the hospital. On a busy day, it could take over an hour; too long if Shane quickly needed to come over.

"Nah, I can stay here," he said as he took a bite from the energy bar and looked over his shoulder. "I didn't even have to use your crib like last time," he grinned lazily, the light returning in his eyes.

Hailey followed his gaze to the back of the room where a duffel lay on top of a small couch, and she figured it could probably be pulled out to become a one-person bed.

She arched her eyebrow as she responded to Shane's comment. "There was confetti in my bed _six weeks_ later. I haven't got the faintest clue where it kept coming from." She scowled at Shane's wide smile. "And what the hell was up with that life-size cut out of Lucas Hunter? I nearly had a heart attack when I saw it standing in front of my window; I thought it was a burglar." Her tone was snippy, but Hailey was glad she was able to distract her friend a little, even if she was on the receiving end of his gloating.

Shane pulled a face. "Will brought that one along for Dani, but she was too drunk to take it home afterward, so I stored it at your place. Cardboard Lucas did visit some of the best bars that night. We even managed to decorate it with some glow sticks." Mischief in moss green eyes. "He got a kiss from several changeling ladies."

Hailey shook her head, remembering the ridiculous photo's she'd received while in London past autumn. "Your parties are insane. Never again in my apartment when I'm off to see my dad, that's for sure." Her eyes narrowed at Shane's smirk. "And if I ever meet Will," she added, referring to Shane's friend and colleague, "I'll make sure to scare the shit out of him with my Tk. That idiot used my best lipstick to write his comm code on my bathroom mirror."

Shane barked out a laugh. "He keeps trying to steal my phone to get your number after he saw _the _picture of us in my living room. You know," waggling eyebrows, "the one from our trip to Tirol."

Hailey grimaced at the reminder of their _après ski_ adventure. Shane had tagged along two years ago when she'd visited her father for Christmas, and they'd taken a speedjet to Austria afterward to hit the slopes. Their hotel had hosted a neon-party they hadn't been able to resist. Shane had worn a flashy lime green mankini with _tiny_ shorts, and she'd worn an equally flashy hot pink catsuit. With sweatbands, leg warmers and aviator sunglasses their looks had been complete, and they'd gone wild.

It had been an epic experience, just not one she particularly wanted to be reminded of on a daily basis. Of course Shane knew that, and he'd made sure to hang a digital frame in a prominent place of his living room containing–among others–a picture of them downing peach-flavored shots.

_Jackass._

He gave her a knowing look. "I'm not sure even your scariest Wicked Witch act will work. Will's not the sort of guy that backs out once he's set his mind on something."

Hailey shot her friend a feral grin. "It's not an act." That made Shane laugh harder. She leaned back in her chair and shrugged, her eyes on Morgan. "I'm not interested in little boys trying to prove themselves." She already had a man that constantly required her wits to stay as sharp as a scalpel, and she _liked_ the way they circled each other, liked the way they challenged and dared the other. It was refreshing and welcome to be with someone who had no problems clashing with her, without having to fear rejection. Hailey knew for certain one of the reasons why James was attracted to her was _because_ she'd push when he pulled. He needed someone with a temper that matched his own, otherwise he'd stomp all over the other party. Good thing he had her.

_Now use that scalpel-sharp brain of yours to make him thaw. _

A small smile formed around Shane's lips. "Suit yourself. Will is a good guy."

_Ah, but you don't want the good guy… you like the bad boy. _

Stomach rolling at that thought, she tried distracting herself and asked, "Are you going to be alone the rest of the day?"

Shane shook his head. "Aiseline is coming over after work, Dani wanted to wring by tonight and dad will arrive tomorrow. He's still working on a case in Vancouver." Shane bit another piece off the energy bar. "He wanted to come over straight away, but I told him to finish his work before flying back. There isn't much he can do right now and his current client needs him badly."

Hailey nodded, understanding Shane's argument. Shane's father used to be a successful prosecutor, but a few years ago he decided to offer legal advice to humans who'd been subjected to telepathic intrusions and mind control. He was excellent at his job and was often asked to assist in cases worldwide.

When their father was out of town, Morgan stayed at Shane's place. The brothers got along very well and rarely fought, which made the living arrangement a good solution.

They sat in quiet for several minutes while Hailey tried to reach Morgan through the ShadowNet. She'd asked James to lower the shield during their stay in the city and he'd obliged. Unfortunately, her efforts to connect with Morgan didn't bear fruit. Shane explained he hadn't been able to telepathically reach Morgan either, and Hailey sensed the desperation rolling off him. She tried to distract him by reminiscing some memories of their holidays together, and managed to get a few smiles out of her friend.

When Hailey noticed it was turning dark outside, she hugged Shane goodbye and promised to contact him before leaving town.

She rolled the locked muscles of her shoulders as she left the room. Tipping up her head, she saw James still standing in the same spot. When he noticed her, he moved and walked out of the corridor towards a broad flight of stairs.

She took a deep breath. _Round two._

She followed James down the stairs and nearly had to run through the crowded main hall to keep up with him. As he headed outside towards the parking lot, Hailey boosted her strides with a little Tk and grabbed his hand. She needed it, needed his touch to calm her, to comfort her.

He ignored her and walked towards the car. Hailey forcefully laced her fingers through his and held on. James stopped walking when they reached their vehicle, a matte black hover-capable car with tinted windows. It was a gorgeous sleek beast of machinery and must have cost more than everything she owned. It seemed the Arrows were doing good business, since James had told her it wasn't his car, but belonged to the Squad. Hailey's small purple city car looked like a fluffy kitten in comparison to this panther.

When James opened the passenger door with his free hand, Hailey said nothing. She didn't move, didn't release her hold on his hand and purposefully didn't look at James either. The burn of his gaze felt like flames licking over her skin, but she resisted the urge to jump him and kept her eyes straightforward.

They stood like that for long moments as people walked by, shooting James wary looks.

"What are you doing?"

Her lips twitched when his low voice filled the tense quiet between them, inciting a familiar shudder. She looked up at him, attempting to keep her face neutral. "Winning," was her prim response.

James' eyes sparked at her, and Hailey felt her irritation lessen a little. Ivy was right. He'd had a cruel life and there was no need for her to add to that. She was, however, allowed to push and banter until he opened up to her.

"Get in." It was a harsh order, James clearly not amused by her attempt to play with him to warm the cold shoulder he was giving her.

Hailey snorted at herself, the irony of the situation not lost on her.

_Well, Hales… You wanted him to talk. Turns out you have to be careful what you wish for! _

Putting duct tape over the mouth of the annoying voice in her mind, she batted her eyelashes at James."No." Her lips twitched at the flat glare he gave her. "I want a kiss first."

A familiar gleam appeared in his eyes, to which she responded immediately. "No, love. If you try to make me get into the car, people will panic and call Enforcement in a heartbeat." She gestured to the numerous people walking in and out of the hospital.

Even though it was almost dark, the parking lot and its surrounding areas were pretty busy. Aside from that, she noticed people were openly watching them by now, nervously glancing at James, the sense of danger he radiated a palpable force. The spectators looked with equal amounts of fear and fascination, like a child would at fire, tempted to touch the flame to see if it'd really burn. Hailey _really_ hoped they wouldn't move, 'cause hell yeah, it would _burn._

Wondering what James' next move would be, she kept quiet and waited for his response.

James had–once again–_no idea_ how to deal with her. He was truly and utterly clueless, the contradiction of the situation–Hailey being angry with him but demanding affection nonetheless–adding to the confusing emotions rushing through his mind.

An image appeared in front of his mind's eye, where her so-called friend had embraced her and kissed her cheek. James had already had a large amount of time to think about his responses to Hailey, but when she'd walked out of the hospital room it hadn't changed his feelings.

He was jealous. Very much so.

Not only because the other male had put his hands on Hailey, but because of the easy, natural way Shane had done it.

Everything James was trying cost him tremendous effort, decades of Silence and torture scarring his instincts to openly show Hailey the affection she deserved. Hailey had never held that against him, but now that he'd seen a glimpse of what she was used to, he knew she needed more from him than what he was offering her.

He wanted to. Badly. But he was unsure if he could keep his Tk stable; it was already constantly viciously pushing and battering against the heavy layers of security he'd spent years building.

Hailey bit her lower lip and he saw the jade glow in her eyes dim. His heart jerked in his chest; the sight of her disappointment painful to him.

_To hell with it._

He'd lived a secluded, strictly controlled life for decades, and what had it gotten him? Absolutely nothing. As Hailey had noticed when she'd seen his quarters, he had no personal belongings. He didn't have family ties. He had no knowledge of the concept of friendship. And James now understood that there was something incomplete, a void, inside of him. Beside his work for the Squad, he had nothing to fill the emptiness. He only had her.

James now realized that, even though the Squad leadership had switched, it hadn't changed how he viewed himself. Not until recently. He'd always been a useful asset in missions, someone to discard when he'd fulfilled his purpose. And even though Aden had issued places where retired Arrows could go, James always assumed that would be the case, that he'd be discarded like a malfunctioning datapad when he'd reached the limit of his usefulness.

What was he ever going to do with his life if he'd gotten to that point?

For the first time in his adult life, he was acting on his own impulses in an uncontrolled environment. It stood in sharp contrast to the past three decades. His entire life he'd been standing on the sidelines, watching over the lives of others while his own passed him by. Now that he'd tasted what living, _truly_ living, could be like, returning to his former life would be a blank substitute, a cruel joke. Life without Hailey would be nothing more than a hollow shell.

_No more. _

He turned towards Hailey and wrapped his free hand around her throat. He could feel her swallowing, sense the rapid flutter of her pulse. James noticed several bystanders freeze but retained his focus on the unique being in front of him. Hailey unclasped their hands and cupped his face. And even though his hold on her was aggressive, the only thing James saw reflected in Hailey's eyes was longing.

Pushing her against the vehicle, he ignored the gasps he heard from behind him before lowering his head to take what was his. The kiss was demanding and hard–perhaps too hard–yet Hailey melted into him, her curvy body pressing against his while she tunneled her fingers through his hair. James could feel the tension in his body easing under her caresses, his need for her visceral.

She flexed her hands in his hair and nipped at his lip when his fingers tightened a fraction around her throat. "You'll scare them," she said after she'd pulled back, panting a little. There was laughter in her eyes as she caressed his cheek.

He released her throat and fisted her hair, gently tugging her head back a little. "But not you?" his voice sounded like gravel as he kept his Tk on a tight leash, the feel of Hailey under his hands enough to make his control slip.

Her eyes turned fully jade, a solemn expression on her face. "No." She traced the outline of his jaw. "I've told you before, you would never harm me." She gently pushed at his chest. "Let's go."

He tightened his hold on her hair. "Are you certain?" He had to make one thing very clear. "I can't be controlled."

The jade of her eyes glowed as she bared her teeth at him. "In the car. _Right now_."

James gave her the look that had made people whimper and beg during interrogations, but of course, Hailey didn't flinch.

He released her and turned her around with his Tk. She gave him a _look _over her shoulder before she sat down and slammed the car door shut.

Several bystanders nervously glanced down when James turned. He ignored them, walked around the vehicle and got in. After inputting the code of their destination, he manually drove out of the parking lot and watched several bystanders grab their phones.


	21. Chapter 19

19

There is a high chance New York Enforcement will be approached by several civilians reporting an incident at a hospital involving Miss Logan and myself. I have the situation fully under control.

I highly doubt control is a word that is fitting to your relationship with Hailey, but you're welcome to try and control her. I look forward to the outcome of that attempt. Incoming reports say a young woman was threatened and kidnapped. The use of mind control is mentioned.

I have the situation under control.

Of course you do.

\- Encrypted exchange of messages between James Addison and Zaira Neve

Face still like thunder ten minutes later, Hailey noticed the familiar streets of the city pass by as James maneuvered through the traffic. Because he told her–in an _extremely_ curt way–he was dealing with a situation telepathically, they hadn't spoken about everything that just happened.

Hailey watched the small shops–digital displays advertising their merchandise, a tiny Chinese take-out restaurant, a shoe store selling custom made sneakers–and snapped upright.

This was her home.

James stopped at a parking spot in front of her apartment building. Without saying a word, he got out of the car and walked around to open her door. Hailey stepped out of the vehicle, not even the least bit surprised that James knew where she lived. She walked up the front steps of the building and punched in the code to open the door.

"Why are we here?" she dared to ask as she led him to the elevator.

Standing close to him in the small space with his scent in her every breath made her feel a little nervous of going head to head with him again. Still, they really needed to talk about his reactions to life outside of the valley.

The reason why she'd asked him to kiss her was to gain confirmation from him that even though they'd argued–well, she'd done most of the arguing–they were still okay.

_And oh my, he'd kissed you, all right. _

It had been rough and hot, shutting out the entire world and focused her senses solely on him. That is, until she noticed several panicked whispers around them. People were very, _very_ scared of her Arrow. He probably thought that would give him the upper hand in dealing with her.

_Joke's on him, then…_

She pressed in the number to her floor. The doors of the elevator closed, shutting them in the small space that seemed to buzz with his violent energy.

"Do you wish to fight over that as well?" The sneer in James' voice was like a whip, but still, he didn't scare her.

Quite the opposite. Hailey inhaled deeply and bit down on her lip to stop herself from laughing at the idiocy of the situation. James was angry because of her interaction with Shane. She was annoyed because he didn't thaw after her numerous efforts. Then he finally spoke and the words he'd said had been… stupid. She didn't have another way to describe it.

Somehow, somewhere, he'd gotten the ludicrous notion that he could scare her off by pushing her away.

_Presumptuous man._

The elevator doors opened and Hailey walked through the hallway to her apartment. She placed her hand on the pad next to her front door. The screen turned from blue to yellow as a small snick sounded.

Hailey opened the door and stepped inside, walking past the kitchen to her left, and dropped her coat on top of the grey sofa that stood in the living area. She leaned against the sofa and kicked off her shoes.

It wasn't a big apartment, her salary as a teacher meager, but it was hers. With cream white walls and soft blue curtains she'd tried to make the living area seem more spacious. The dark wood of the floor contrasted with the lighter colors, giving the room a warm feel. Two large windows with wide windowsills poured in light and provided a view of the busy street below.

Hailey had placed small pillows in the windowsills so she could sit and watch the crowd. She liked sitting there, liked to watch people walk into the shops and through the street.

She automatically strode towards the right window and swiped her fingers over the top of the small, dark piano next to it. The surface felt smooth against her skin, familiar dents and scratches marking the surface from years of use. It had been a gift from her parents when Hailey had turned fifteen. Even when she'd been a small child, Hailey had always been strongly passionate about music. Her parents had been nothing but supportive of her pursuing her dreams. A career in music would have been wonderful, but Hailey's love for interacting with children–especially teenagers–had led to her decision to study children's psychology. She'd been able to finish the courses in half the time and had enrolled herself in music and acting courses shortly after graduating–after discovering that teaching was a form of preventive, primary aid; she'd be able to register the troublesome children and provide them with the lines of help they required before they went over the edge. In seven years time, she'd managed to obtain three degrees. Getting a job after that had been easy.

Sighing at the memories, Hailey studied her piano. Since it was a more old-fashioned version, it still had keys instead of the smooth displays most modern instruments were provided with. The piano was updated enough so she could play with or without earplugs. Hailey often chose the first option, not wanting to be a nuisance to her neighbors when she was playing, even though the walls were moderately soundproof.

It felt good being in her safe, comforting space again, where everything was still the same as the day she left for the valley. Everything but the man she'd brought with her.

Hailey turned around to see James' tall figure stand in the middle of the room. He made the space look tiny, his sheer presence filling the room. Their eyes locked, and Hailey felt a shiver run down her spine at the force of his gaze.

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she tipped up her chin. "Are you able to talk now?"

He gave her a curt nod.

Rolling her eyes at him, she closed the distance between them until she stood an arm's length away. "Talking implies using speech. You should try it, it can be most useful," she needled him.

Hailey could tell he was clenching his jaw, but other than that, he gave her nothing. Mentally counting to ten, then to twenty, she tried to follow Ivy's advice and be gentle with him. She turned away and walked to the expensive music installation across from the sofa, underneath the entertainment comm.

Quickly selecting a few of her favorite songs, Hailey put the volume on low settings and motioned the device to start playing. The soft hum of music filled the apartment. Clever, small speakers were hidden in the ceiling of every room so she never had to miss a single note.

Muscles easing under the gentle melodies, Hailey started speaking. "When I was fourteen, I met Shane. He was terrible at math and physics, whereas I was a straight A student. Shane is two years older than I am, but he didn't mind getting tutored by a smartass Witch." She grinned at the dumb nickname that'd stuck through all these years. "We instantly became friends. I came around his place a lot. That's why I also know Morgan pretty well; he was a toddler back then." He'd been the cutest little boy Hailey had ever seen, with wild black curls and puffy baby cheeks. She'd instantly grown fond of him and used to cuddle him a lot. "Their mother left when Morgan was only three." She'd only left a short note and they had never heard from her again. "It made the connection between Shane and Morgan strong. They'd do anything for each other." She turned around and faced James, who was studying her with a neutral expression, but for his hard eyes.

Inhaling, Hailey continued. "Shane and Morgan are my family. We might not share blood, but they are the family of my choice." She'd listened to them when they needed someone to talk to about the loss of their mother. They'd held her when she'd cried for the loss of her mother. That kind of connection would never break, Hailey was certain of it. "I've known Shane for longer than a decade. If our interest would have been romantic, something would have happened by now." She arched her brow at James. "You of all people know how stubborn I am. Do you really think I'd wait that long for a guy to make the first move?"

Long moments passed; the space of her apartment filled with the soothing hum of an indie rock song. Just before Hailey decided simply to pounce on James and kiss the answer out of his white-bracketed mouth, he spoke.

"Under the Silence Protocol, civilians were taught physical contact should be avoided as much as possible in order to keep Silent." James watched Hailey intently as she strode towards him. She couldn't know how much she was breaking through his foundations with the sway of her hips, the sparks in her eyes, the blush on her cheeks.

He drew in a deep breath and continued. "Arrows are used to more physical contact, due to the training regimen which includes hand-to-hand combat. The only difference is that in training, physical contact equaled pain." Sometimes the actual pain hadn't been the worst. The knowledge of going to sleep to start another day with the brutal training, to suffer through the physical and mental discipline over and over again, was torture all the same. Especially because James had only been six when the merciless Arrow regime had literally and figuratively been beaten into him.

"Besides the dissonance, the years of physical and mental abuse has caused our minds to respond to each physical stimulus in the same fashion."

The light in Hailey's eyes disappeared when she watched him, as if she was staring straight into his dark soul. "Touch hurts you," she said quietly. "That's what you're trying to say, isn't it? That I've been hurting you all this time, even without the dissonance." Her voice sounded aghast as she stepped back.

James shook his head and closed the distance between them, cupping her chin with a firm grip. Right now, he hated his promise to her, hated the fact that she forced him to speak the truth. "Don't _ever_ stop." The words were raw, mixed with an odd sense of despair. "If you do, it'll hurt more. It's a pain I choose."

Yes, their interaction had been abrasive to his senses, her expressiveness and light almost too much to bear. But he didn't care that her touch caused his severely scarred psyche to respond negatively. The only thing he longed for was more; more of her light, more of her smiles, more of her sweet, soft caresses.

Hailey's eyebrows knitted together and he knew she wasn't letting his comment slide. James knew she understood that denying him the physical contact would instigate another discussion between them. Her following words validated her need to wrap up fight number one before she'd enter the ring for their next battle. "Then explain to me why you're cross with me."

He blinked at her choice of words, reconsidered them regarding her heritage and answered. "I'm not angry with you." Releasing a deep breath, he admitted, "It's easy for him. It's not for me."

Big eyes bruised, she cupped his face. "You can't learn everything in a few weeks' time. That's not what I expect from you."

He clenched his jaw. Her words didn't change the fact that he wasn't meeting her needs. Touch, he had learned, was extremely important to Hailey. And, he now realized it wasn't just important to her… it was also important to him–even if it caused a negative physical reaction.

Hailey hesitated for a moment before she rose on tiptoe and gave him the softest, gentlest of kisses. "We'll figure it out together. No one knows everything about their partner in the first weeks of their relationship." She grinned. "Hell, some people hardly know each other after years of marriage." James could feel her smile on his mouth when she brushed her lips over his again. "You just need to practice. And I totally volunteer to teach you during this experiment. I do have a fee," she said as she rubbed her cheek against his jaw, the act making the darkness inside him stretch, "which you can pay me in kind… if it doesn't hurt you."

The stinging sensation in his chest rippled through his body. He took hold of her jaw, studied her features as she waited for his response. "You need to know I've been on a leash most of my life," he said. "I won't ever act on anyone's orders without question ever again."

Sparking flecks of jade in her eyes, he felt her jaw set. Hailey's reply took several moments, and the tone in which she spoke was sharp enough to cut his skin. "Are you suggesting my interest in you originates from an intention to _use _you in some shape or form? Like my personal hit man?" She slapped away his hand and stepped back. "Why would you think I'd want something like that?"

Before he could respond she continued, her anger making her eyes a swirl of glowing jade in brown. "How can you think so little of yourself?" The words lingered between them, the soft hum of the music doing nothing to take away the tension in the air. James noted that he'd mistaken Hailey's expression, yet he was unable to verbalize the look she gave him.

"You really don't see it, do you?" she asked quietly.

_Disbelief? _

"Don't see what?" he asked while still running her expression through a mental databank to categorize her behavior. He came up blank.

"Tell me," Hailey ordered. "Tell me why you think I want to be with you." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and tapped her foot on the floor while waiting.

James didn't immediately have an answer to her question. Aside from the pull between them, he'd never stopped to wonder why she'd want him… and now he realized he didn't know. He wasn't outgoing or charming like most changelings, wasn't gentle like Vasic or selfless like Aden. He'd made her laugh a couple of times, but that had been mostly unintentional.

He thought of more practical reasons. It was unlikely Hailey knew how much money he had at his disposal, so it probably wasn't because of financial reasons. And she abhorred being sheltered or guarded, which eliminated the possibility that she'd stay with him for the protection he could offer.

Running several previous interactions through his mind, James came up with an answer he thought was most fitting. "You have a preference for my physical appearance."

Her jaw dropped and she stared at him for a few seconds. Then she bared her teeth at him. Unable to find the flaw in his answer, James waited for her to elaborate. It took several long seconds before she spoke, her hands opening and closing into fists multiple times. "That's it? _That's _why I want to be with you?"

James thought about her question.

Apparently, Hailey's patience had ran out before he could answer. She threw her hands in the air and made a frustrated noise.

"God, I'm telling you, you can act really stupid for someone who is highly intelligent." Sadness filled her eyes, replacing her irritation. "I _enjoy_ spending time with you. Even though you sometimes drive me close to bloody murder, I enjoy our training sessions together. You're smart, funny and loyal." She closed the distance between them and cupped his face in her hands, her hold gentle, as if he were fragile. "You're good and patient and calm with the teenagers, and you treat them with the respect and understanding they deserve. You help others without expecting anything in return. You helped me, gave me confidence, trusted me."

She bit her lip and looked away for a moment before locking eyes with him again, her irises deep, dark brown. "When you look at me, everything goes quiet. When you touch me, my heart skips a beat. And when you kiss me, the universe stops for a moment. No one," she whispered as her irises jolted tiny sparks of gold, storm in her eyes, "has ever turned my world upside down like you have."

It was odd, how accurate her words described his own feelings. Unknowingly, she completed and complemented him better than he'd been aware he needed. An emotion built up inside his chest, one he was already familiar with. It caused him to ask his next question.

"Then why do you interact with other men in a similar way?"

A deep frown on her face before understanding dawned on her features. "You went through my recordings!"

"Yes," he admitted. He'd promised not to lie to her, and he would never break his promise.

Hailey's hold became firmer and he couldn't resist touching her anymore. He smoothed his hands over her hips, the warmth of her skin tangible through her thin black t-shirt.

"I have not, and _never _will be involved with that idiot," Hailey hissed. "Matt got what he deserved after we left the stage and he tried to grab my ass."

James momentarily lost control at the thought of any other man touching Hailey in such a fashion. He burst a bolt of Tk into the air, causing a flash of lightning outside of the apartment.

Hailey's eyebrow arched. "Don't be jealous," she said pointedly, "not unless you also like to have an ice-cold beer thrown into your face." A shrug. "I warned him not to touch me ever again when he tried to kiss me on stage. He thought I was joking." She released her hold on him, her hands sliding down to the armor on his chest as she gave him an amused smile. "He didn't think it was funny anymore after his beer-shower."

If anyone made the mistake to believe Hailey was harmless or weak because she was small, James was certain they'd count their losses after a single conversation with her. This woman possessed a fire so bright, it was as feral as his clawing need to touch that light of hers. She was fascinating. And what was even more bewildering was the fact that she'd decided on him, regardless of his cold demeanor.

Hailey was right when she believed he didn't see himself in the same manner she did. But now she'd explained her point of view, he decided he wanted to be the man she saw in him. Even though he wasn't, he wanted to be good enough for her.

"I don't think I can get used to it," he admitted.

Again, she immediately understood what he meant. "I won't entirely stop interacting with others the way I'm used to, but I promise I'll try to rein the touching part it in as much as possible–if you agree to remind yourself I'm trying."

It was a compromise, a white flag she was waving, even after the harsh and icily way he'd responded to her.

_You are undeserving of her_, a voice in his mind said.

While that might be true, James wasn't giving her up. She was his. And he'd try.

He fisted her hair and devoured her lips, drinking in the taste, the life of her. He was completely and utterly captivated by her light, her passion and openness. She could ask anything of him, and he'd do it for her.

_Only for her._

When he released her, she was breathless and flustered, but not distracted. "Talk to me," she whispered, her luscious lips kiss swollen.

So he did.

James told her about his father, who'd had custodial rights as was set in the conception agreement. He had been almost six when his Tk had lashed out, causing the Council to take action. His father had been forced to sign James over to the Council, placing him in Arrow training. He'd been stationed at training facilities in Baghdad, Moscow, Osaka, Brussels and Malta.

"Anti-interrogation training was the worst," he told her.

Hailey's fingers drew patterns on his chest while she listened to him. In the meantime, she'd ordered food and they'd eaten, after which they laid on her bed. James had taken off his armor and boots and could feel every small caress of her fingers through his thin thermal shirt.

"We were trained to protect all Arrow and mission secrets under every circumstance. Mental and physical torture included." He still remembered being subjected to sleep deprivation, being bound and hit in front of other trainees, and when his peers had been able to watch the beating unblinking, he'd been left with his wounds uncared for until every inch of his body had been burning because of the infection that had set in. After that, he'd simply been healed to start the process all over again.

One of the methods James had found the worst was being subjected to constant, deafening noise for days. Maybe that was the reason why he liked listening to Hailey sing; the haunting, husky melody of her voice was an antidote to the hateful poison that had been pumped into him, healing some of the scars that layered his soul. It was such a simple thing, yet it gave him so much pleasure.

Hailey's fingers now stilled, her palm warm on his chest. "How old were you?"

"Eleven."

Her head jerked up, jade blazing in her eyes. "Jesus. Who does that to children?"

James brushed his knuckles over her cheek, comforting her. "The trainers. The conditioning of Silence was embedded deeply." For some, it might not have been true Silence. Silence didn't distinguish those who were conditioned from those who did not feel. But mostly, James thought the Arrow trainers had done what they believed to be right in order to train their young. After all, Arrows had been the ones enforcing the Silent mandate for a century. They were supposed to be the most perfect examples of Silence.

Hailey leaned into his caress. "So they paid it forward?" She shook her head, dark waves falling over his hand. "I'm glad you guys found another way to teach the children, but this isn't something children should be occupied with. The part of teaching them control I understand. The part where they are prepped to be assassins not so much."

James cupped her chin. "It's not like that anymore." He needed her to understand that. "Aden offers them the choice without rejecting them for their decisions. They will always be Arrows, protectors of the Net, rather than soldiers."

She kissed his thumb when he ran it over her lower lip. "I have to say that you being a tough soldier does hold appeal–you look damn sexy in your uniform–but I hate the paths you had to walk to become like that."

James hauled her in for a kiss and felt his chest expand when she melted into his embrace. "I don't." When she arched her eyebrow, he elaborated. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have met you."

The jade and gold in her eyes were overtaken by deep brown once more, a blush covering her cheeks. "Oh."

"Though, I would have to decline if someone wished to exercise their waterboarding skills on me again."

Hailey's eyes grew huge. Then she scowled. "That's really terrible! You shouldn't joke about things like that. You were _a child._ They had no right to touch you."

James decided not to tell her about the months where the trainers broke into his mind over and over again, trapping him in his biggest fears until he was able to face any horror without so much as flickering an eyelash.

She pushed at his chest. "You're not telling me everything."

"No. It will only distress you. There's nothing you can change about it."

Hailey moved over him and lay against his chest, her nose almost touching his. "So protective," she whispered. James slid his hands over her butt, resting them on her sumptuous curves.

"Okay, so when did you feel for the first time?" Sparks of curiosity in her fascinating eyes as she stroked her hand through his hair.

"We all have the ability to feel, but it is conditioned out of us."

When she frowned at that non-answer, James stared at the ceiling. He knew he had to be honest, but he wasn't ready for her response, for her to turn him down because of who he was. This was the one thing he did not want to tell her, but it was also the one thing he couldn't keep from her. He couldn't stand it if Hailey would ever look at him the same way she'd done the day he provoked her ability. And he wouldn't be able to deal if she chose to leave him.

His entire being burned in rejection to the thought of losing her smile, her touch, her warmth. Never in his life had James wanted to keep something, _someone_ as bad as her. Never before had he valued anyone the same way.

_No one comes close to her. _

Hailey was unique, light personified, filled with fire, compassion and honesty. She fought for the things she believed were right and was fueled by her contagious lust for life.

Maybe, just maybe, she would fight for him. Maybe she could show compassion to the blood-drenched assassin he was. A flicker of what James believed to be hope lit his dark soul. He lifted Hailey off him, using his Tk as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his back towards her. He clenched his fists, the veins of his arms standing out starkly.

"Do you know of the Honeycomb Protocol?"

Her arms wrapped around his chest; her soft body warm against his back while she nuzzled his hair. "Yes. The empaths are the ones who made the construction, right?"

He inclined his head. The PsyNet used to be described like a starscape, each star representing a Psy in the darkness of the Net. Since the Honeycomb Protocol was initiated and Silence had fallen, all Psy were connected by fine threads of gold. Some Psy who were connected to each other–or, in changeling terms, mated–were also linked in the Net by a thread of their own. "Because of Silence, the PsyNet started to rot. The decay made the Psy in that part of the Net go insane."

Hailey's hands tightened on his chest as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "I remember the news footage here in New York." She shuddered. "The Arrows were the ones who stopped them."

"Yes. Together with the empaths, humans and some changelings, the outbursts of extreme violence were countered. Only when the empaths constructed the Honeycomb in the Net, the outbursts and decay stopped."

Hailey kissed his jaw, her hair falling over his shoulder and brushing his chest. "But not entirely. That's why Krychek released a statement, right? The PsyNet needs voluntary human connections to fully heal. I've been told that coercion doesn't work."

James tilted his head in her direction as Hailey slid her fingers from his chest to his arm. The warmth of her touch made him calmer, and he released his fists from their tight hold.

"Several months before the rot became public news, Psy were already experiencing erratic episodes of insanity." Hailey listened as she stroked his arm, comforted him with her touch. "But when the rot started seeping through the Net, normal Psy turned into the most vicious and violent murderers. The Arrows had to cover up the events and hunt down the killers."

Hailey's motions stopped. "_You_ had to stop them." She moved to sit next to him on her knees, cupped his face and forced him to look at her, her irises completely devoid of jade and gold flecks. "You protect the populace, the most vulnerable. It doesn't make you a bad person; you don't kill indiscriminately."

He released a shuddering breath. She hadn't rejected him.

Yet.

He gently removed her hands from his face and let her go. "Don't justify my actions. I'm not good in any sense of the word." James turned towards her, his gaze focused on her lips rather than her eyes. "The rot in the PsyNet wasn't the only side effect of Silence. The Psy chose Silence because of the psychopathy that is often linked to our abilities. It was a measure to protect our race, but eventually it turned out Silence was the perfect harvesting ground for psychopaths; since they did not feel, they could act on their psychopathic impulses without the consequence of being rehabilitated. The PsyCouncil knew, but often did nothing."

Hailey went motionless again. James' gaze dropped to his hands; the instruments that had been soaked in blood more times than he could count.

Hailey's whisper broke through the silence. "How do you fit into this?"

He kept staring at his hands, unable to face her, unable to watch those warm eyes turn cold and distant in disgust, in fear. "I'm part of the covert squad that hunts them down."

She moved towards him, tunneling her fingers through his hair and pulling his head in her direction, forcing him to meet her gaze again. "What happens when you find them?" Eyes big, her face looked a little pale, her full mouth a flat line.

He locked eyes with her then, showing her the darkness that lived inside of him. "You know what happens."

Hailey's big eyes shimmered as she kept his gaze, stared right into his blood-drenched soul. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. I'm sorry you still have to do it."

She embraced him, and it was so unexpected, James froze. Hailey placed gentle, feather-light kisses on his temple, cheekbone and jaw before she looked at him again. "You're _nothing _like them, James. It hurts you; I can tell it does. You have a conscience and are fully aware of what is right and wrong."

"I'm the worst monster of them all," he said through gritted teeth, unwilling to lie to her about his true nature. "I choose to be on the front lines, to hunt them and kill them." Because the Squad's trainers had been right about that, to actively use him in as many missions as possible in order to keep the twisted, shadowed rage inside him at bay. "But there is no one I have to answer to, no one that questions the actions I've taken. Aden trusts us to handle our assignments accordingly. Do you truly believe I've always done everything in my power to incapacitate them, instead of ending their lives?"

Hailey scowled when she leaned back, jade sparking in her eyes. "Stop hurting yourself like that." She stroked her fingers over his cheek. "Do you enjoy it? Enjoy hunting them and killing them?"

James thought about her question. He could still recall every single incident during the time when the darkness roamed through the PsyNet. Rooms with blood splattered on the ceiling. Limbs scattered over the floor. Bodies ripped to shreds.

However terrible the outbursts of infection had been, James would fight the infected _any day_ over a visit to a psychopath. Especially when the Squad was too late.

_The first thing he saw was a small boy–maybe eight,–lying strapped down in a recliner chair. Next to the chair stood a cart with surgical tools, the steel instruments of torture slick with scarlet. He shoved aside a saddle stool while making sure he avoided the carmine pools on the gleaming white tiles. _

_The boy's body glowed in the bright white light hanging overhead, his skin an unnatural shade of blue. His arms and legs were flayed by his caretaker, the muscles and tendons bare for the eye to see. The putrid stench of decay penetrated his nostrils when he placed his fingers on the boy's neck. _

_No pulse. No indication of life. _

_Another room with another child, this boy even smaller. The child was also strapped in a recliner chair but kept in darkness. James used his timepiece to light up the space. A tray of surgical instruments–stained with rust-colored splatters–lay on top of a desk. The skin of this boy's thighs was stitched, but the surface was uneven. Blood crusted on the jagged stitches; the smell of infection evident. James closed the distance, to see flat blue eyes moving in his direction._

The second boy had survived, but it was a small mercy. Later scans showed that the caretaker had placed various items underneath the boys' skin. An experiment, he had called it. Use of a J-Psy revealed that the boy had undergone the treatment not once, but three times.

James had decided it was only fair for the 'caretaker' to receive equal treatment. With use of a telepath, the suggestion had been planted inside the mind of the man that he'd been harmed in a similar fashion. Unfortunately, the man had not been able to survive the torture he'd inflicted on his own flesh and blood. Fear was a most effective tool to instigate a heart attack.

"I feel satisfaction once we've eliminated the threat," he finally answered to Hailey.

Hailey shook her head. "It's not the same thing. I'm asking if killing them makes you feel good, makes you want to do it again." Her eyes pinned him down, the gold flecks more apparent now.

"No." James touched Hailey's cheek, as if a part of him hoped the purity of her, the light of her would seep into him if he held her long enough. "But there is no other way. The covert team needs my skills." Her skin felt like silk against his fingertips as he traced the small beauty marks on the line of her jaw. "It is my purpose to serve the Squad."


	22. Chapter 20

20

Well, we can't say we weren't warned what to expect when an Arrow gets angry.

SweetSue62

How is it legal those people are roaming around? They're a danger to society. Aden Kai better keep his assassins in check.

Anonymous

Is anyone else green with envy? How did that brunette manage to get her hands on such a fine example of the male species? Maybe they're just friends. I hope they're just friends. And I'm seriously considering going to that Psy café in SoHo…

Q. Daily

Top comments on the NewsYork article 'Inhospitable Storm'

_It is my purpose to serve the Squad._

How her heart had broken at those words. Even now, the morning after their intimate night together–intimacy that had nothing to do with physicality–Hailey felt the organ twist. Listening to James, watching the shadows take him over, it was hard. He had suffered through so much, and it had scarred him. More than he liked to admit, and more than he was probably aware of.

Hailey couldn't imagine what it was like, to live her life loveless, to be brutally tortured, knowing it wouldn't end. And even when it ended, when training was finally over, the torture still wasn't. Because seeing the things James had seen, doing what he had to do, it was torture all the same.

She let out a deep sigh while she walked over to her music installation. Going through her playlist, she selected a danceable song.

James was right; she couldn't change what had happened to him. But she _was_ able to influence his future, and Hailey vowed to make it as wonderful as she could. She would pull James out of the darkness every time he needed her to.

She fixed her hair in a half-updo while singing and dancing to the music. She was still wearing denim shorts and an oversized band shirt but figured she could get dressed properly later in the afternoon.

James was currently meeting up with another Arrow stationed in the city, and Hailey had taken the opportunity to buy some groceries. She wanted to visit Shane and Morgan later in the afternoon, because she wasn't sure if James and she would be able to stay in the city for much longer.

He'd already put his life on hold for her. Though she was grateful for that, she was also aware he was quite occupied–as proven by his current absence.

Hopping to the kitchen, she quickly fixed herself a strawberry and banana smoothie. She poured the mixture in a glass and added a colorful straw before sipping on her drink. Twirling back to the living area, she sang along to the music while using the straw as a microphone.

_Delectable. _

Gasping, Hailey swiveled around to see James standing in the small hallway, his eyes focused on her. She'd moved fast enough for half of her drink to spill. James didn't even look at her hand, but Hailey could see the liquid floating back into the glass before it could have hit the floor.

She quickly made a movement with her free hand–which the audio installation registered–to turn the volume down. Her heart thudded in her chest, her skin simmering under the heat in his gaze. "Delectable?"

_Yes_, his dark voice a hum in her mind, _it's __a word I've never had the opportunity to use before, but it's the first thing that comes to mind when you move like that._

He walked closer, and somehow it felt like he was a lion sneaking up on its prey. Even though James was Psy, there was a protective core inside him akin to a dominant predatory changeling. Though, lion didn't feel quite right. Wolf, maybe.

_Yes._

Agile and strong, with great capacity for loyalty and deeply respected by his pack.

_What are you thinking about, Hailey?_ That voice filled with sinful promises made her nipples furl to small beads, the timbre a caress to her skin. Swallowing, Hailey shared her thoughts with him as he circled around her. She closed her eyes when his telekinetic touch stroked up her leg.

"If I am a wolf, what are you?"

Hailey dropped her glass at the feel of his hot breath against her neck. She opened her eyes to see James had caught the glass and levitated it towards her coffee table.

"You tell me," her voice was a husky whisper.

One big hand slid around her waist, the other brushed her hair from her shoulder. His lips touched the sensitive skin of her nape, causing her to shudder.

_Your voice is seductive, as is your body_. He sounded rough as he sucked on her pulse. _A siren._

Hailey laughed at his apt description. "Yes, perhaps that is fitting." She turned into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Dance with me."

James' blue eyes looked like they were afire. "Show me how."

She made twisting gesture with her hand towards the music installation. The electronic dance music stopped playing and was swapped for a ballad.

Smiling, she placed James' hand on her lower back and laced her fingers through the other. She gently nudged him with her Tk, which got her a slightly raised eyebrow, but he followed her motions as she telepathically sent him images of people dancing, slowly swaying to soft music.

Though his movements were sometimes off, it was wonderful being in his arms. It felt amazing that her lethal Arrow was doing something utterly mundane like dancing, even if he nearly stepped on her bare feet with his big boots once.

When Hailey released one hand to twirl around, James hauled her back in his embrace after she turned, and kissed her with deep, dark possession.

A couple of hours later Hailey was standing outside in a small garden at the back of the hospital. She'd gotten Shane some food and something to drink and had sat with Morgan for a while. He looked so pale, so young and _so sick_.

Her worried heart clenched at the memory of Morgan's sheet white face. The iv's were causing purple bruises on his arms and the medics had placed several devices on his limbs in order to keep the blood flow in his body steady, narrowing down the chances of him having a stroke.

After a while she'd told Shane she had to go to the bathroom, but Hailey had actually needed a bit of fresh air before she could be strong for her friend again. She wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all, but that wouldn't help anyone.

She'd asked James to wait for her, needing a moment of quiet to herself. James had brushed her cheek with his knuckles before she went outside. At first he had disagreed with her, yet after they'd discussed it–where she'd reminded him he wasn't her bodyguard–he'd reluctantly let her go. He didn't like it, but he did it for her.

When Hailey turned around to walk back through the sliding doors, she almost bumped into a tall, auburn haired man. Snapping up her head to apologize, she recognized the pale blue eyes staring back at her.

"Hey, Hales. You here for Shane, too?"

"Hi," she said to Matt. "Yeah. It sucks, doesn't it?"

Matt nodded. Though Matt was one of Shane's friends, Hailey had never really liked him much. He was always a little rude, a little mean, just because he could; the typical high school athlete jock who'd been unable to make his sport dreams true due to an injury in college. Matt wasn't good with people and didn't like studying, so he never finished his college education… which was why it probably made sense he was a bouncer at a shady strip club.

But he was Shane's friend and he was here, so Hailey figured she had no right to treat him in a condescending way.

"I didn't see you at Morgan's floor," she said.

"Nah, I just arrived. Just wanted to have a breather before seeing Shane." He looked around the small garden. "You want to go for a walk with me?"

Hailey felt a little bit reluctant but nodded. She didn't know Matt very well, mostly saw him at the bar and birthdays. Even then they hardly spoke.

Matt was… different. His voice made him a good singer, and Hailey had agreed to do karaoke with him once. She also vividly recalled the way he'd treated her on and off stage.

Pushing away that awkward memory, she walked in silence together with Matt over the wide path. On either side of the path were some bushes and trees, but there were mostly grass and flowerbeds planted, with the occasional bench between the greenery.

Hailey stiffened when Matt hooked his arm through hers but kept on walking.

"I have to get back in a minute." She looked up at Matt, who was staring at her.

"Yeah, sure." He took her in from head to toe, and Hailey felt a tingling sensation run up her spine. "How have you been, Hailey? Haven't seen you around at Doctor's Order," Matt drawled, naming their local bar.

Hailey pulled back her arm. "I'm fine. Been busy for the past couple of weeks." She looked around and saw that they were the only ones in the garden.

_Don't go crazy, Hales. He might be a jerk but that doesn't have to mean anything._

"You know, I really have to get back to Sh–"

"Who's that guy driving you around?" he interrupted.

Hailey froze. Suspicion flooded her mind. If Matt had just arrived, he wouldn't have seen James. "He's someone I train with, why?" She was unsure how much she was allowed to say about her stay at the Arrow facility, so she'd promised James she'd be vague about her whereabouts. Shane had known about the sudden erratic spike in her abilities, but he didn't know where she had gone to get control of the situation either. Aside from that, Shane knew it was important to keep Hailey's secret; he wouldn't have mentioned anything to Matt.

Matt shrugged as he put his hands in his coat pockets. He walked a little further before turning towards her again. "He's a Psy, isn't he? No one remotely _human _would look like that."

Hailey frowned and stepped back the way they came. "Why does that matter?"

Matt stalked over to her, gripping her arm before she could take another step back. "Is he hurting you?"

Hailey tried to yank her arm out of his grip, fear and anger coiling inside her. "No, but you are. Let me go, Matt." She coated her voice with ice.

Matt ran his pale eyes over her face. Then he pushed her away, the sudden movement making her stumble a few steps back. "Jesus," he ran his hands through his sleek hair. "You're fucking him. So you're whoring for the Psy now?"

Hailey stood nailed to the ground at the sudden change in Matt's behavior. "What the hell, Matt?" She shook her head. "If you're upset because of something, don't take it out on me. I think it's best if I go." Hailey turned around and walked away before she'd lose her temper and hurt him, but Matt grabbed her arm again.

"Wait, Hailey. I'm sorry."

Hailey turned around to use her Tk to wrench herself free. Just when she pulled, their eyes locked… and Matt's light eyes darkened.

The hairs on her neck rose as her hands tingled, a gentle buzz humming through her head.

"Let me make it up to you," Matt said, his voice soft, soothing, safe.

Yes, he'd be safe. He'd be so good for her. He was such a nice guy. Handsome and smart, he'd be _perfect_ for her. How could she not have seen that before? He'd make her so happy, give her everything–

_What?! NO!_

Ordering her mind to reject the deep sense of security Matt could provide, Hailey angled back her head. "Get your fucking hands off me," she hissed, but the words came out slurred.

Matt smiled lazily, pulled her into his embrace and bent down. Nausea churned in her stomach as Hailey tried to push him away, but she couldn't lift her arms. She couldn't even move the tips of her fingers.

_Shit!_

He grabbed hold of her chin and hauled her closer as he leaned in to kiss her. Hailey bit her lips closed and tried to turn her head, but her mind was foggy and her movements draggy, like she was stuck in mud. She attempted to lift her leg in order to plant her knee right into the family jewels. The only response her body gave was a slight jerk of her upper thigh.

The sound of blood rushed in her ears and her heartbeat slammed inside her chest. With the sickening scent of Matt's aftershave penetrating her nostrils, forcing her body not to heave took effort, the acrid taste on her tongue spreading throughout her mouth. Hailey tried to move her hands again, tried to use her Tk but she was unable to do anything as she felt her mind darken more and more. Tendrils seeped into her head, whispering sweet promises, all the things Matt could offer her.

Matt's lips were a hairsbreadth away from hers.

_Shit, shit, shit!_

Suddenly, Hailey was lifted off the ground and pulled back while Matt flew through the air and smacked against the wall next to the back entrance of the hospital.

Landing in James' arms, Hailey snapped out of the hypnoses Matt had used on her. She shook her head and blinked her eyes a couple of times. Only when the hazy cloud in her head lessened, she became aware of James' intense gaze on Matt. Horror crept through her veins when she heard something crack.

Matt's scream was barely audible through the thunder shuddering the sky. Hailey's head snapped into Matt's direction.

Arms and legs spread, he was pinned against the building, invisible manacles holding him in place. Rain poured down on him, a sliver of blood running from his mouth. When Hailey turned her head towards her savior, the look in James' eyes made her motionless.

He was losing control.

"James, stop," she said, cupping his face to get his attention. His eyes remained on the man trapped in telekinetic shackles, seething fury roaring in depths of blue. Hailey looked over her shoulder and saw Matt fighting the telekinetic hold as he groaned something.

"James, please stop," she tried to push herself out of his hold, but he didn't budge. Knots in her stomach, Hailey tried to connect to him. _You have to let go. _

James didn't respond to her telepathic message and kept his focus solely on the object of his rage while rain kept pouring down and lightning flashed in violent streaks through the dark sky.

For the first time, Hailey saw the true darkness in James' eyes, the blood-honed assassin he told her he was. And in his taut body, she recognized the true danger of his emotions spiraling out of control.

It frightened her.

Not because she was scared he was going to hurt her. Not even because he was hurting Matt.

No.

She was scared _for_ him. The glacial look in James' eyes made it very clear he was going to kill Matt. Slowly. Painfully. He was meting out retaliation for what Matt had tried to do to her. But she couldn't let that happen.

"_James." _She grabbed hold of his hair and pulled him in her direction. He finally looked at her, the azure in his eyes overtaken by shadowed Prussian as thunder sounded overhead. Wind swept through Hailey's wet hair, dark tendrils clinging to the sides of her face.

"He tried to force you," James' voice was soft and low, seemingly contained, a wolf in sheep's clothing. The fact that he was speaking so calmly scared Hailey even more. It kicked her mind into gear.

"He did. I think he got the message, so _release him_," her voice was steel. She was ready to counter him, to fight for him to save his soul.

"Would he have released you?" James' seething anger was a palpable force. She could sense it in his body, taste it in the rain, feel it in the way the air vibrated around them.

Hailey pulled at his hair again, forcing him to focus on her. "He already has, because of you. You're going to hurt him, James. Please don't." She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Please don't become the thing you hate because of me."

James remained quiet as he looked at her, the internal fight reflected in his blazing eyes. Hailey's heartbeat was a drum in her ears as she stared back, silently praying for him to listen. Then she heard a thud and a grunt behind her.

Relief flooded through her system as she petted James' chest, belatedly registering he was wearing his armor. "Thank you," she said without breaking the eye contact, "will you put me down now?"

His jaw granite, he gently lowered her to the ground, steadying her with his hands on her waist. She slowly reached up and stroked his cheek, a slight stubble noticeable against her fingertips.

"I was right!" an astounded shout echoed behind her. Hailey swiveled around as Matt stood up and held his right arm cradled against his chest. "You _are _fucking that Psy statue!" Disgust dripped off every word.

What happened next happened _so _fast, Hailey acted purely on instinct. She spun towards James as blue fire of fury ignited in his gaze. He blasted out his Tk again, his crosshairs trained on Matt. Hailey quickly slammed out her hands to James' chest and he was _shoved_ back by a burst of her Tk.

She used her telekinesis to create a shield, blocking James' attack on Matt. In rebuke, James used his abilities to avert her sudden boost of power after he was pushed back several yards, his shoulders angled forward to keep his balance. The violent strength of his Tk kept on battering against her fragile wall when James stood up straight. Her shield started to falter when the pressure increased.

Hailey gulped in a deep breath and _focused_.

"Move," James ordered while he walked back until he stood two feet away from her. Wind swept through his damp hair while a bolt of lightning crashed into a nearby tree, causing the earth to shudder under her feet. Deflecting the shockwave with a shield of his own, James turned to her again. He looked lethal, his icy order belying the rage scorching in his eyes.

Defiance jolted through Hailey's body at his commanding tone, no fear in her heart when it came to James. Not anymore_._ "I'm still not a dog," she said through gritted teeth while tipping up her head, provocatively sticking out her chin at his harsh tone. "I'm _not_ letting you hurt him."

She could feel James pushing viciously against her paper-thin shield, the depth of his rage apparent in his psychic touch. Rain kept falling down, dripping from her chin as she held her now shaking hands in front of her, pushing the shield outward.

"You know I can make you." Again, the words were ice cold.

Anger surged through Hailey's veins at James' insinuation, which amped up her shield a little more. The rain also seemed to help, making the telekinetic wall visible as the droplets spread over it.

"Do it," she sneered, "and see where that'll get you." Hailey looked straight at him. _I don't care about that bastard. I care about you. So stop this, right now! _Anxiety grew when James looked in Matt's direction again, his rigid body ready to take down his target._ You're not a monster and you_ are_ in control. Please_, she whispered.

James' eyes gleamed as his hands to curled into fists, his knuckles white bracketed against the gold of his skin. The crashing waves of his Tk against her shield faded little by little. Darkness had descended in his eyes by the time the telekinetic surge against her shield stopped. Hailey was heaving from psychic exertion and felt the sweat drip down her back, her face clammy from the continuous rain. She tipped up her head towards her dangerous Arrow.

The air around him was simmering with violent energy, his mouth a grim line and his posture stark; every inch the elite soldier.

Her eyes met his… and Hailey's heart broke for this passionate and protective man as her shield dropped, water gushing to the ground.

Then James' gaze was on Matt, who was watching the spectacle in front of him with a sheepish expression. In the time when James and Hailey had been fighting, he'd wiped his mouth. A watery streak of blood was visible on his left cheek, his hair dripping wet.

"I was told you only picked even fights," Hailey needled James, hoping he'd focus on her rather than coiling into the darkness that was taking him over.

"Yes," he said slowly, his eyes flicking from Matt to her, "that's why I only verbally spar with you."

"Then stop trying to protect me and let me handle this," she argued. Hailey was very aware of the fact that Matt wasn't off the hook just yet. And even though Matt was an inconsiderate asshole, he didn't deserve to be tortured–or killed–because he had a small brain and a big mouth.

More importantly: James shouldn't hurt others, shouldn't scar his battered soul anymore with these kinds of actions. If she was right about the person she'd glimpsed, the man he'd shown her, he would eventually regret his decision and turn that anger onto himself. She couldn't allow that to happen, wouldn't let him add more scars and guilt to his tormented soul for her.

Hailey saw James' jaw tighten; white lines visible around his strained mouth. "You're mine. Mine to protect."

Even though the circumstances were horrible, Hailey felt warmth seeping through every inch of her being. She decided to use the opportunity to reach James psychically, distract him a little more. _I'm yours but I'm not your property. There's a slight distinction. _She looked over her shoulder at Matt, who was still watching them but had taken a few steps back under the threat of James' gaze.

_Coward._

"Besides," she said aloud, "you taught me how to fight for myself. Have you got so little faith in your own teaching abilities?" She left James to think about that as she stomped towards Matt, who stood a couple of yards in front of the sliding doors of the hospital. He'd remained silent all this time with a dumbstruck expression on his face, but had found his voice again and directed his attention to Hailey.

Unfortunately, he was only able to make things worse for himself.

"Get that Psy asshole out of here!" he shouted, his eyes wide and wild.

Hailey clenched her teeth at his words, her drive to protect James from Matt's cruel insults as big as James' need to protect her. "Oh, we'll leave. But not until after this," and she swung out with her fist, using a tiny–okay, modest–amount of Tk to spice up her punch.

She made contact with his jaw and Matt lashed back, his head whipping backward as he fell to the ground. Matt groaned when he hit the floor. "You bitch!" The words sounded muffled through the hand he held in front of his face, his other arm lying limp in a very unnatural position.

Hailey had always disliked Matt. Now she loathed him. "That was disgusting! You have to force yourself upon others now?" She felt violated and sickened by the abuse of his powers. "Don't you dare call me names when you use other people like that! You should be fucking ashamed of how low you've sunk." Anger uncurled inside her as she ranted to his fallen form a little more. "You better make sure this was the first _and_ last time you've used your abilities on someone like this." Her lips curled in disgust. "Don't think Dev won't hear about it, I'll make sure to tell him myself."

"What the hell is happening here?" Shane's distinctive raw voice sounded appalled as he breathed heavily, probably because he'd ran towards them.

It was only then that Hailey noticed several people had gathered in front of the windows looking out over the small garden. Her gaze went up, to the rooms with a view of the garden. People were watching in open astonishment, their phones in hand, aimed at the spectacle. There was no doubt in her mind they'd filmed at least part of the show they'd just given.

_Oops. Sorry, Dev._

Yes, they'd probably made quite the spectacle. Hailey wondered how fast the Eagles would turn up before she angled her body towards Shane. "We've already worked it out, right, Matt?"

A small grunt sounded behind her, Matt still holding his hand against his bruised face. Hailey stepped towards Shane and hugged him. "I'm really sorry for causing a scene. We'll leave right away." He held her for a moment, and Hailey saw James' eyes turn stone cold when she looked at him over Shane's shoulder. Rolling her eyes at him, she let go of her friend.

"It's okay, Hales. I'll bash some sense into that idiot." Shane narrowed his eyes when Matt limped past them, shooting Hailey death stares before entering the main hall of the hospital. "It might take my mind off things." He cupped her cheek. "You take care, okay?" A glance over his shoulder to where James was standing. "That guy seems–" His words cut off at Hailey's raised eyebrow. Shane shook his head. "Just be careful."

She mock-punched his shoulder. "Shut up." Her small smile was replaced for a solemn expression. "I hope Morgan will get better soon. I'll contact you when I can."

Shane nodded and followed Matt while Hailey walked towards James. He was still staring intently at Shane when she reached him, and she decided not to pick a fight over it. "Shall we go?"

James turned around and walked in front of her through the main hall towards the parking lot. He opened the passenger door when they reached the car. Hailey got in and fastened her seatbelt. James started the car and drove manually, confidently shifting gears as he drove through the suburbs towards the highway.

"We could stay at my apartment for another night," Hailey opted, breaking the tense silence between them after keeping quiet for ten minutes. James didn't respond, didn't even look at her.

Hailey stared out the window and absently watched the scenery pass. The rain had stopped shortly after she'd punched Matt. Now sun broke through the clouds as eagles flew circular patterns in the light grey sky above the East River.

She bit her lower lip. She didn't want to fight with James–once again–but she knew they would have to talk about everything that happened today. He would probably be pissed because she'd retorted against him shadowing her. She'd get annoyed because he wasn't her bodyguard.

A deep sigh escaped her lungs, aware there was no easy fix. James was extremely protective and she wasn't going to turn into a damsel in distress to beckon him at her every need–even though she had needed his help today. Hailey was grateful for that, but it didn't mean that James had to protect her all the time and everywhere. How could they ever have a normal relationship if he was always working?

The car came to a sudden halt, and Hailey saw James had parked it in front of her apartment building. Still a bit dazed from using her Tk in such an explosive way, she got out of the vehicle and walked towards the front entrance. They stepped through the door and walked into the elevator in tense, uncomfortable silence.

Hailey wrung her hands in order to keep herself from touching James, unsure if he'd be able to deal with that right now. When she looked up, James was staring straight at the closed doors, his face a blank mask.

It was like a repeat of yesterday. She couldn't help but wonder how they'd gotten to this point.

_From wonderful to terrible in such a short amount of time…_

"Why are we here?" she asked quietly, recalling using the same words yesterday.

James didn't look at her when he answered. "I do as I'm commanded."

_God, he was pissed._

Exhaling deeply, Hailey walked into the hallway after the elevator doors opened and unlocked the door to her apartment. Kicking off her grey flats in the small hallway, she stepped into the living room and looked out of the window for several moments before turning around.

James stood in the center of the room, his arms crossed in front of his chest and his legs slightly spread, his anger filling the small space, lapping against her skin. When his eyes locked with hers, she felt a shiver run down her spine as she wrung her hands again.

A muscle pulsed in James' jaw.

_Shit. This was bad._

Not ready to face off with him just yet, Hailey muttered she'd be right back and walked to the door on the right of the living area, into her bedroom.

The queen-size bed was made up neatly with a knitted light grey blanket on top. Black flower outlining covered the wall where the cast iron headboard of the bed was faced. One guitar hung above the right side of the bed. The clip on the left side was empty, since her other guitar was still in the cabin at the valley.

Hailey walked to the bathroom on the other end of the room and washed her face and mouth. Thoroughly. She decided to brush her teeth as well, while she was at it.

When she dried her face and looked into the mirror, she noticed her skin looked a little pale. Her eyes were almost completely brown, the jade and gold flecks reduced to tiny pinpoints. She pushed back rain-damp strands of hair as she exhaled.

_Don't be nervous, _she said to herself, _it's not like you guys never argued before. _

While that was true, she also had never cared so much about someone's opinion and feelings before.

She looked down to her left arm and rolled up the sleeve of her still-damp green blouse to reveal the jagged scar. Tracing it with her fingertips, she closed her eyes.

_No. He'd never hurt you. _He'd never hurt her during training, hadn't hurt her during their fight and he wouldn't harm her now.

_He only ever intends to protect you, even if it's at his own expense. _It was exactly why Hailey had felt the explosive urge to stop him. And now it was time to make things right between them.

Feeling more confident of a positive outcome, Hailey walked back to the living room and saw James looking out of the window next to the piano, vigilant and watchful. Her stomach clenched at the sight of him.

_God, he was gorgeous. _But so, _so _angry.

If she hadn't known him, the pure sense of danger he exuded would have made her run into the opposite direction. The air around him was charged with violent energy, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his shoulders rigid.

Azure eyes hard as stone slammed into her when James turned, making her shiver at the intensity of him. Hailey wanted to open her mouth but he was already on her.

He pushed her against the wall between the living area and the bedroom and kissed her hard while fisting her wet hair in his hand. The familiar flavor of James combined with mint lingered on her tongue, his lips possessively covering hers. James braced his free hand on her hip, squeezing the voluptuous curve. Hailey melted into him, butterflies fluttering through her stomach as her fingers tunneled through his rain-damp hair.

His kiss demanded everything from her and she gave it all, comforting him with the touch he was so desperate for, the touch she needed, too. She cried out when he placed his hand on her sensitive breast and squeezed as he bit her neck, sucked on her pulse. Hailey felt heat pulsing between her legs, her damp flesh rubbing against her panties at the aggressive but oh-so welcome impact of him on her body.

She placed her hands on James' shoulders when he lifted her and pinned her against the wall, his erection pressing against the juncture of her thighs. Her trembling fingers attempted to remove his armor, but she was still shaky from the explosive use of her powers. James took her hands, tangled his fingers through hers and held them on either side of her head against the wall as he kissed her again, deeply, roughly.

Oak moss and sandalwood intoxicated her with every breath, her hips moving in a restless rhythm, pushing against the evidence of his arousal. James groaned and wrapped a hand around her throat while licking out at her tongue. He bit her lip, sucked on the plump flesh with skill that belied his lack of experience. Hailey whimpered as she felt the wetness in her panties grow.

Then his hands slid underneath her thighs and he carried her to the bedroom. Landing softly on the bed, Hailey watched James' beautiful body in motion as he kicked off his boots and removed his armor and shirt before covering her with the boldness of a man confident of his welcome.

Thunder shuddered through the apartment building.

She cupped his face and placed gentle, sipping kisses on his mouth, jaw, cheeks and neck. "Don't be angry with me," she whispered as she kissed the outer shell of his ear. She had no problem arguing with him, but she didn't want the tension to create distance between them.

James held her chin and looked into her eyes, desire and fury reflected in depths of blue. "He tried to take what he wanted from you for the second time now," he said, his voice rough-edged. "He wants you."

Hailey's eyebrows rose in surprise. "What?"

James stared at her. "He's tried to kiss you twice without your consent." The slightest crease appeared between his eyebrows. "And he looks at you the way I'm only allowed to look at you."

Warmth uncurled in her stomach, erasing the nerves she'd felt since the moment they'd stepped inside the car. _My sweet, protective Arrow. _

The accidentally telepathed words seemed to startle him a little. "Sweet?"

Hailey bit back a smile as she brushed the blond waves off his forehead, not bothered by the fact that she'd shared her thoughts with him this time. "I don't think he'll dare to try it again, since I'm very much taken." She placed feather-light kiss on his chin. "You know you're mine just as much as I'm yours, right? I'm keeping you even when you pull the I'm-a-dangerous-and-arrogant-assassin-badass act."

"I'm not arrogant."

The tone of his voice made Hailey burst out in laughter. James' rock-hard muscles seemed to relax a little when she ran her hands up and down his arms.

A small smile lingered on her lips as she spoke. "I'm sorry for what happened, but I'm not sorry for demanding my own space." She ran her fingers over his back and felt a fraction of smug pride when James shivered a little.

"You like control, as do I. We're going to have fights about these kinds of things." Her eyebrows knitted together as she watched her hands sliding over the dusted-gold skin of his pectorals, brushing her fingertips through the hair lightly covering his chest. "I've been rejected a lot of times because men say I'm too direct and stubborn, but I like the fact that I can stand up for myself and take care of my own business."

Compelling eyes of azure watched her as she continued. "I understand you were angry and I'm glad you helped me today." She looked away for a moment. "You were right. I don't think Matt would have stopped out of his own initiative." Hailey fought the shiver that slithered over her skin. She_ would not_ take the bad memories of today's event into the bed she shared with James. "I don't want you to hurt other people because of me. You've already had to do so twice now. I can't imagine what it demands from you."

James brushed his knuckles over her cheek and tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. "I've vowed not to harm innocents. In both cases you were in danger and the men harming you were far from innocent. By coming to the valley you've entered a different world, one where violence is a part of life."

Hailey scowled. "Okay, but you can't use that as an excuse to incapacitate whomever you believe to be a threat to me." She ran her hands up his back again, enjoying his smooth skin under her fingertips. "Like I said: you've taught me how to fight. I've been training hard to master those techniques, and even though I'm not nearly at my 'full potential' yet," she made a face, "I'm not completely defenseless either."

Looking into his eyes, Hailey saw the anger fade little by little. She kept stroking his chest, shoulders and arms as she spoke. "You're very protective and possessive."

James closed his eyes and leaned into her touch a little more. "Only for you."

Her heart swelled so much, it hurt. She grabbed his shoulders and hauled him in for a seductive, coaxing kiss. Licking her tongue over his lower lip, she ran her nails over his back and felt his body go taut, this time for all the right reasons. She nudged his head aside with her nose so she could kiss his neck, suck at the place where his pulse raced beneath his skin. He tasted intrinsically male, the addictive flavor of salt and heat and him.

Her hands skated down and reached the waistband of his cargo pants. She slid them to the front to flick open the button and heard thunder crashing outside. James helped her by pushing up, his beautiful body toned and hard and so other from hers, it made her want to demand him to just stand naked in front of her so she could capture every inch of him.

Stroking her hand underneath the back of the waistband, Hailey explored the hard curve of his buttocks and ran her nails to the front of his body. James rested his forehead against her shoulder, his breath choppy as she slid her fingers through the curls between his legs. He bit her shoulder through the fabric of her blouse when she gently fisted his penis and stroked him.

"You're gorgeous and delicious and I want to put my mouth on every inch of you," she whispered, her cheeks heated and her hand tightening around him.

He bit her earlobe and tugged gently as he fisted her hair. "I don't think I'll be able to handle that today." The honest words were harsh breaths against her skin, making her hips arch upward and her heat pulse through her body. She moved her hand a little faster while kissing his shoulder and sinking her teeth in that beautiful, gold-dusted skin.

Thunder boomed in the sky above her apartment and flashes of lightning filled the room.

Hailey looked up and saw James' dilated pupils, his jaw a brutal line and the tendons of his neck standing out starkly. She released his erection and moved her hand to his side, cupping his cheek with her other hand while softly nipping at his lips. "We don't have to do this," she whispered.

He tilted his head slightly, making locks of blond hair fall over his forehead. It made him look younger, softer. "I don't easily feel pressured." It came out rough and rugged.

Hailey's lips twitched. "Stop joking, I'm being serious!"

James traced the smile on her lips with the tip of his index finger. "I'm Psy. It's difficult for me to tell."

Hailey snorted in laughter and bit his finger. "Yeah, right. Just like you find it difficult to tell when you're driving me crazy?" She flicked her tongue over the length of his index finger and sucked on the tip.

James' breathing turned jagged.

"Funny and a passionate lover, I couldn't have chosen better if I tried," she grinned.

"No one will believe you if you tell," he said as he bit her lower lip before locking gazes with her again. "But I'm not your lover yet."

She stared at those beautiful, expressive eyes, smoldering azure pools in Prussian borders. Sighing inwardly, warmth flushed her cheeks as she whispered, "I want you to be. I want to be yours in every way."

His hand tightened in hair as he kissed her, his need so clear. And she wanted to give him what he needed, wanted to have him, because he belonged to her and she belonged to him. She'd seen his darkness and wanted him all the same. If he'd ever fall into the shadows again, she'd be there to pull him out of it, using every weapon in her arsenal. It didn't matter if she'd use words or her body. She _would _be there for him.

Laving her tongue against his, Hailey moaned when James molded her breast through her clothing. _I know, _James telepathically said as he sent her various images.

Hailey sucked in a breath at the sight of them and covered her mouth with her hand in surprise. They were the fantasies he'd triggered during their sparring session in the valley. "That…" she cleared her throat. She wouldn't feel ashamed of her daydreams. Not when the man she'd been fantasizing about was as hungry for her as she was for him. "I didn't know I sent those," she murmured.

The corners of James' mouth tugged. "I'm not erasing them," he said. _Perhaps they'll prove to be useful blackmail material when you disobey me again._

Hailey laughed, aware he was playing with her. "I'm under the impression you don't share well, Mister Addison," she said as she lightly scratched her nails over his back. "But perhaps I could offer my services to others. After all, reality can be so much more satisfying than the fantasy."

She laughed even harder when he growled, kissing her hard with his possessive mouth. _No, Miss Logan, _his rocky voice causing her to grow damper, _you're mine and mine alone. Say it,_ he ordered.

Hailey arched up her hips and felt James' grip in her hair flex, lightning flashing outside once more. Cupping his face with gentle hands, she whispered, "Yes, love. I'm yours and you're mine." She brushed her lips over his. "Now, kiss me before those commands of yours make me change my mind."

He sank his teeth her lower lip again, then slowly released the swollen flesh. She moaned when he kissed her deeply, her chest rising and falling in a jagged rhythm.

Hailey impatiently started opening the small buttons of her blouse. As she lifted up a little, James helped her out of the blouse and reached back to undo the clasps of her bra. He kissed her neck and Hailey held him close to her, enjoying the feeling of her Arrow's weight on top of her.

When his hands kept fumbling on the clasps, Hailey's shoulders started shaking. James bit her neck and she let out a small cry, laughing aloud now.

"The manuals did not cover this part," he mumbled, more to himself than to her. Then she heard a tearing noise.

"You _did not_ just ruin my perfectly good bra!" It was an aghast cry as he removed the ripped garment. James bit her again and she melted into him despite her disgruntled statement. "You better buy me a new one, milor– Ah!" She sucked in a hard breath when he ran his teeth over her nipple, flicking his tongue over the furled bud.

_I will, _James' deep voice echoed with warmth in her mind. She moaned when he started molding her other breast with his large hand, his callused fingers deliciously abrasive against her soft skin. Then he moved down, opening the button of her tight black jeans and pulled down the zipper. He planted a kiss on the soft fabric of her lace panties and Hailey whimpered. In seconds she was naked, her jeans and panties gone as he covered her again with his big body, her legs spread to accommodate him.

"The manuals did include another part," he said as he kissed her soft abdomen, stroking his hands firmly over the curves of her waist and hips.

Hailey's stomach made a somersault. "Oh?" she asked breathlessly, heat covering her entire body. Her toes curled when he kissed her hipbone. "What was that?"

Instead of vocalizing his intentions, James decided to give her an example. He slid his arm underneath one leg while spreading the other wider and kissed the damp and swollen tissue between her legs. Hailey sobbed when his tongue explored her, running over her wet folds and flicking over her sensitive clitoris.

_I see why this was so pleasurable for you when you did it to me. _

She made incoherent sounds as he feasted on her, lapping up her cream with relentless deliberation. Her head arched back when that sinful voice echoed within her mind again. _You taste exquisite, Miss Logan. You're succulent here as well._

Another deep lick.

_Does it arouse you, Hailey? Do I make you wet?_

Before Hailey could respond, he used his fingers and Hailey felt her mind haze at the sensory overload. He stroked her gently, sliding one finger inside her. Then he added a second.

_Yes! _she answered, _please don't stop! _

Hailey grabbed hold of his hair, his shoulder, everywhere where she could brace herself as he started moving his fingers faster. One of her hands moved to squeeze the needy flesh of her breast, tug on her nipple.

James' head snapped up, his eyes endless black, focused on the hand that was covering her breast. "That," he said, his voice as rough as the storm outside of the apartment, "is something you'll have to repeat for me."

Hailey bit her lip and moved her other hand over her neglected breast. She softly massaged herself, rolling her nipples between her fingers without breaking eye contact. James watched her with unblinking focus, his fingers digging into the softness of her thighs. When his thumb brushed her damp folds, she arched her back and drew in a sharp breath. Instantly making the connection, James dipped his head and sucked on the small bundle of nerves between her thighs. A wave of pleasure exploded inside of her as she cried out.

Thunder crashed hard enough for the apartment to shudder as lighting bathed the room in flashes of white.

Hailey was still shaking, the aftershocks of her orgasm rocking through her body, when James licked her one last time before he moved up higher. Sharply inhaling a breath, she cupped his face and kissed him, tasting herself on him. The intimacy of the act made her stomach clench, wanting more.

"I really don't see why you need a manual," she panted as she met the darkness of his eyes.

"Since you are as responsive during acts of intimacy as you usually are," James said as he softly stroked her side, making her jerk a little, her body sensitive from his delicious lovemaking, "I don't believe I need one either."

Hailey raised her eyebrows. _You make that sound like a bad thing._

He kissed her neck. _On the contrary_, he sucked on her pulse, _it's most insightful to me._ Hailey smiled and nudged at his shoulder. When he fell back on the bed, she removed his cargo pants and straddled him, the fabric of his boxer shorts the only barrier between them.

_I'd love to provide some more insight, then, _she telepathically sent with a wicked smile on her lips. But before she could move downward to enjoy the feeling of his beautiful, hard body, to his repay generosity, James grabbed her wrists.

"Wait," he said as lightning filled the room once more.

James had been pushing his Tk in the air, causing lightning storms above New York. He mustered every ounce of his Arrow training to force his abilities under control, but the sight of a pleasure-flushed Hailey on top of him? He didn't think the city would survive if she'd put her hands on him.

Her features softened. "We've done something similar before. You won't hurt me or anyone else."

James' wasn't so sure. With the tart taste of her still on his tongue and the visual and sensory stimuli of her when she'd climaxed fresh in mind, he felt his control slipping. The way she had moaned had made him so hard, he wasn't sure he was even able to handle the slightest touch of her before he came.

James didn't think the dissonance would kick in fast enough to stop him before he did serious damage. He had felt the dull spike of pain in his head from the moment he'd kissed Hailey in the living room, his emotions spiraling out of control as a result of the events that had passed today. The only thing he knew he wanted, he needed_,_ was her. But he refused to put her in danger.

Hailey sensed his hesitation and petted him, comforted him. "We don't have to do this," she repeated.

James looked into her eyes. "I know." Yet he wanted to.

More than anything else, he wanted to have all of her. He knew it was selfish, his desire to keep this woman with light in her soul since his own was filled with shadows, corrupted by all he'd done, but he _needed_ every part of her as much as he needed to breathe.

By now, there was no hiding from it anymore. Hailey had witnessed the violent darkness that possessed too much of his soul, had seen the easy way he'd injure and would have killed if she hadn't stopped him. That was who he was; a man who'd choose violence in protective impulse. A man who'd approached her in the same aggressive, violent way.

But her acceptance, her warm, welcome lips, her sweet, gentle caresses and honest words… it shattered him. It was like Hailey knew what he needed and was willing to offer it all despite the darkness she'd glimpsed.

_You will never be able to let her go again if you do this_, the rational voice in his mind said. James thought about that for a moment and knew that wasn't right. He was already unable to let her go, even though he was fully aware he wasn't deserving of her.

_She's mine. _

She'd given herself to him and he didn't have the strength to part with her. The greed inside his soul wrenched at the reins, ready to take what was his. But he had to be sure.

"Are you sure?" If she wanted to share her body with him on the most intimate level. If she wanted _him_.

Her eyes were completely devoid of jade and gold when she processed his words, her emotions always clear for him to see. She kissed him so soft, so gentle, that something inside him snapped.

_Yes,_ her warm, husky voice inside his mind. _I want this. I want you. Only if it doesn't hurt you._

A punishing spike of the dissonance slammed through his spinal cord at the same moment as her last sentence. James released Tk into the sky, lessening the effects of the dissonance and causing thunder and lightning to encase them in the intimacy of her peonies and cedar-scented bedroom.

He'd made a promise not to lie to her, and he'd keep it. "It will, but," he said when her eyes darkened in rejection, "I don't want the conditioning to take this away from us, from me."

She shook her head, her mouth a flat line. "Get them removed first. I can wait." He rose to kiss her, felt something inside his stomach twitch when she didn't respond and kept her lips closed.

_Stubborn woman._

"I can't," he said to her lips before pulling back enough to look into her mesmerizing eyes. He'd always been patient and icily controlled, but with Hailey, he had no resistance, no patience. Keeping his eyes off her naked body in order to have this conversation took _serious_ effort. The visceral, compulsive need for her was a pulse under his skin. _I've been waiting thirty-two years for you. I need this. I need you._

She scowled, jade jolts in deep brown. "You're not playing fair. You can't use those words to coax me."

"I'm not." An absolute truth.

Big eyes stared at him; the internal conflict reflected in the darkness of her gaze. "You need to stop if it'll damage you. We can stop any time you want," Hailey said as she pressed her body against his, and James knew that was untrue. He already was unable to stop himself, even though he could feel the pressure inside his head increasing slightly, the dissonance tightening around his mind like a vise.

He didn't care. _Nothing _was more important than her in this very moment. He'd use that as proper motivation to make sure his Tk wouldn't harm her.

Decision made, he grabbed hold of her hair and kissed her, angling her head the way he liked it. She let him taste, drink in all of her. His muscles went taut when she ran her hands along his sides, brushing her fingers against his boxer shorts.

James watched her sit up and pull off the remaining piece of clothing between them, her naked body a feast for his eyes. He never experienced anything more erotic than watching Hailey move under him, on top of him. Every which way, it didn't matter. The visual material in the manuals didn't come close to her. She was perfect.

She straddled him again and leaned forward to kiss his chest. Her skin covered his, the delicious softness of her as intoxicating as her taste had been. Dark hair fell over her shoulders, softly brushing against his skin and adding another layer of sensation to everything he was experiencing. Only when he saw sweat sheen a fine layer on her back, James noticed his Tk was moving the air molecules around them so fast, the room was close to tropical temperatures.

Using every technique he knew, he reined in his abilities once more. Hailey seemed undisturbed by his loss of control and kept stroking and kissing his neck, chest and shoulders. When he clenched his hands on her buttocks she jerked, and he felt the warm, damp softness of her against his rock-solid penis.

Another burst of thunder made the lamps in the apartment falter.

Hailey's pupils were dilated as she watched him, swirls of jade and gold sparking when he flexed his hips and moved against her. She sighed and arched her head back, the ends of her hair brushing his thighs.

Even though James didn't have sexual experience except from his time with Hailey, this position didn't feel right for him, not now. He used his Tk to lift her–which seemed to help numb some of the throbbing dissonance–and sat up, leaned against the pillows in front of the headboard before lowering her. Hailey was still straddled across his lap, but now he was in the perfect position to touch, kiss and look at her.

Unique eyes seemed to look straight into his soul when she spoke, a blush covering her cheeks and her lips kiss-swollen, yet he could see the concern underneath the desire. "Are you certain you don't want to stop?"

No one had ever been concerned of his well-being aside from his ability to function, not on the level Hailey was concerned for him. It was odd but welcome to be cared for, to be claimed in such a way.

"Yes." Never had he been surer about anything in his life. He clenched his hand in her hair and kissed her deeply. _No restraints. No worries. Promise me you'll give me all of you. _

_I can't say no to you, _Hailey whispered to him, _you have me, but I'm allowed to worry._

She lifted her hips while bracing her hands on his shoulders and moved herself over him. The moment his erection pressed against her slick core, his hand flexed in her hair, his free arm wrapped tightly around her waist as she slowly lowered over him.

His heart thudded double-time in his chest, jolts of pleasure sparking though every cell in his body as he processed the feel of her tight, wet warmth around him. Hailey let out a soft cry as she slid over every inch of him, her pleasure-swollen tissues accommodating him ever so perfectly. She waited and held him as he took a few moments to release his Tk. The experience of her liquid heat enclosing him was staggering.

"You feel so good inside me," she whispered against the shell of his ear. Her husky words made him jerk inside her, which made her gasp softly in return.

_I think you finally made good on your promise, _he said as sweat dripped down his temple, his body trembling. _You're killing me._

James could feel her smile against his cheek as he placed his hands under her thighs, carefully lifting her before she lowered herself over him again. He hissed out a breath and heard her whimper. Hailey's internal muscles clutched when he bit her earlobe and licked over the small hurt. He used every ounce of his training to stop his body from taking over, wanting to extend this experience for as long as possible.

Hailey rested her forehead against his, one hand cupping his face, the other gripping his hair tightly. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes heavy lidded and her breath choppy.

He lifted her again, his jaw a tight line. Hailey pulled his hair and exhaled a shaky breath. "I'm fine," his voice sounded like gravel when she slid over him, pleasure searing through his system, the dissonance momentarily side-tracked by a burst of Tk into the sky. "Why?"

She laughed, light and desire in her eyes, fading her lingering apprehension. "Because," she said as she teasingly lifted her hips and slowly moved over him again, "your jaw is clenched tightly enough for you to break yourself."

James was aware Hailey was trying to distract him, trying to make him relax a little. His heart twitched as he responded to her taunting comment. "Arrows aren't easily broken."

Her eyes sparked. "You've never experienced my variety of an interrogation before."

James decided to take her up on her challenge another time. He lifted her and lay her down on the bed without breaking their intimate connection. Hailey's long, dark hair fanned below her, framing her caramel skin flushed with a deep pink blush. James vocalized his thoughts. "You're beautiful."

Hailey smiled shyly and kissed him when he bent over. _So are you, _her words amplified by the molten gold of her eyes. James intertwined his fingers with hers, holding their hands beside her head.

Then he started thrusting into her with the rhythm his body was urging him to use, losing himself in her. Hailey wrapped her legs around him, opening herself for him even more. She arched her back and met his hips as he sank deeper into her.

There were no more taunts, only the feeling of pure ecstasy that washed over him when Hailey cried out his name, as thunder roared through the sky.


	23. Chapter 21

21

"Those other men were fools," James said.

Hailey lifted her head from his chest, her hand over his heart. She loved being cuddled up close to him, loved basking in his strength. "You're only saying that because I'm such a good kisser," she teased.

James rolled over, covering her with his big, muscular body. "I'm saying it because they were idiots for letting you go," he kissed her before adding, "and they were weak if they couldn't deal." He nipped at her chin and kissed the same spot.

Hailey pulled a face at the male arrogance in that statement. She'd come to know many different facets of the man behind the Silent soldier, but that aspect of his personality wasn't something he'd discarded with his Silence. "Well, well. So you're saying you're able to 'handle' me?" James bit her earlobe, making her jerk. She played her fingers through his hair.

"Yes," he answered, his breath caressing her neck.

She loved it when he did that. It was like he flicked a switch to turn her on all over again. Shuddering, she chastised him. "Arrogant man."

He bit the shell of her ear. "Confident."

Her hands clenched in his hair and she pulled up his head. "_Extremely_ arrogant."

James' eyes flashed. "I believe this is called a stalemate."

Hailey felt her stomach muscles tighten by the sight of him, his mussed hair, bright eyes and the gleaming gold of his skin.

_God, he's handsome. And he's all mine._

"No, this is a perfect example where you're wrong and I'm right," she deliberately challenged him but was unable to keep a straight face, laughing when James nipped at the upper slope of her breast.

He really was trying to embrace the changes she brought into his life.

_No, that's not quite right._ He wasn't just trying; he was actually _doing_ it. And she felt her heart swell impossibly more for this beautiful man.

_Her beautiful Arrow. _

It wasn't just his handsome appearance that made him beautiful. He was strong, protective, passionate and he had a bigger heart than he knew. She told him as much, but he shook his head.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Hailey. Don't fool yourself by believing I'm a good person. I'm not." Dark words filled with echoes of painful memories.

Hailey pushed at his chest and he fell back on the bed. She turned to her side, her head resting on her hand as she watched him. "Tell me why."

Of course she didn't believe him, regardless of what she'd witnessed today. Apparently, James was determined to see himself as some terrible monster. She needed to understand why before she could counter him full throttle. Because she would. She would fight for him.

James was staring at the ceiling as he spoke. "I've done things under authority of the Council that would repulse you. The missions I've been on recently–" His voice broke off.

Worry filled her heart. "Hey," she said as she cupped his cheek. His gaze met hers and she saw haunting shadows in eyes of the deepest blue, shadows no man should have to live with alone. "Nothing you could tell me will make me reject you."

He grabbed her wrist, his voice sharp, demanding her full attention. "You don't know that. You don't know the things I've done." His tone sounded final, but for his stark features and taut body.

Hailey's heart broke for him._ So much suffering_, she thought_, so much pain inside of him._ And he believed it would be a reason for her to turn him down. But the fact that he carried the pain of his past was all the more reason for her to embrace him.

So, she pushed past her own fear of rejection to give him all of her. "James," she whispered as she met the shadows in azure, faced his darkness with open eyes and an open heart, "I adore you. I _love_ you. You can't scare me away by being stubborn or harsh." He released her wrist when she moved to touch his cheek. "That strategy never worked well for you. I'll just fight you for it, which will result in incredible make up sex."

James felt his heart ache at Hailey's words. He knew she was speaking the truth; her eyes were completely brown, all sparks of jade and gold disappearing because of the intensity of her emotions. He also knew she was trying to hide her fear by making a smart comment in her heartfelt confession. He understood why.

He wanted to return the words to her, give her what she needed so badly, it hurt. But it was like the words were smothered, slammed down by the spike of dissonance that kicked in when she'd told him she loved him. Releasing his Tk into the air, thunder shuddered the building as flashes lit up the air behind Hailey.

Hailey smiled slightly, understanding in the deep brown of her gaze. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me," she said as she kissed him softly.

They lay there in her bed quietly for long moments, her legs tangled with his, his arm underneath her head, her hand splayed over his heart. James almost thought Hailey had fallen asleep, but then she asked him a question that made his muscles go taut.

"Why do you feel it's your purpose to serve the Squad?"

She hadn't rejected him so far, but was he willing to push her tolerance? Willing to risk losing her by explaining why he had deserved the severe torture of training? Why he had to redeem himself with every mission, even though it was impossible?

"If the high risk Psy are locked away or dead, the civilians stay safe and they can't do any more harm." And that was something he couldn't say for himself.

Hailey seemed to notice the hidden depth in his statement. She sat up and frowned, staring intently at the floor as several pieces of clothing levitated towards her, and threw him his boxers. While he sat up and clothed himself, she slid on his thermal shirt and pushed up the sleeves, the garment large enough to reach her upper thighs. It was a satisfying and pleasant sight to witness, Hailey dressed in his clothes. The dark possessiveness that lived inside him stretched in acquiesce, content with branding her in every possible way.

Hailey pulled her hair out of the back of the shirt and thrust a hand through the dark mass before she spoke. "Beyond the obvious reasons, it still doesn't explain why you feel so determined to catch them, why you call it your purpose in life. Especially because you posed to be Silent."

There it was, her piercing intelligence, her direct honesty. James was unable to comprehend how she knew him so well, how she could _see_ him. Closing his eyes, he knew he couldn't withhold the truth from her. Giving her honesty after all she'd given him was the very least he could do.

"When I was five and a half, I discovered I could teleport." James' deep voice filled the quiet. His hand lifted to play a dark tendril of her hair through his fingers. "At first it seemed harmless. I teleported to another room or to the garden of our family unit. Sometimes, when I woke at night, I'd teleport to the rooftop and watch the passing traffic on a highway close to our residence." He looked at his hand while he kept playing with her hair, and Hailey was aware he wasn't making eye contact on purpose. She knew that whatever was coming was bad; she'd never seen James this… quiet.

_He's scared, Hales. Your tough, ruthless Arrow is scared of what he'll see when he looks at you… Scared of what _you'll_ see when you look at him. _

Hailey's fingers brushed his thigh as she listened.

"I lived together with my father but since he was often busy working, he didn't notice the teleports at first. When he did, he told me to limit it as much as possible and placed a psychic leash on my Tk." He frowned a little. "I think he knew what would happen if the PsyCouncil found out about my ability to teleport. I was on the Council's radar from the moment I caused a power outage when I was four; a burst of my Tk influenced the atmosphere. I don't think he wanted me to leave, since he declined their financial compensation back then."

Hailey's heart clenched. What James described sounded an awful lot like a father protecting his son, caring for him and shielding him from a life filled with horrors. She wondered if they were still in touch but didn't want to interrupt James' story, so she listened when he started speaking again.

"The plan to limit the teleports worked for a few months." James paused and looked into her eyes. Hailey could almost physically feel his apprehension.

Unraveling her hair from his fingers, she pulled his hand up to her lips and kissed the palm, placing it over her heart as a silent reminder of her earlier words. "What happened?"

James swallowed, his gaze on the hand covering her chest. "One day, I was playing and teleported to the kitchen. My father was preparing food and tripped over me when I completed the travel. A pan filled with hot water fell over me."

Hailey bit her lip, forced herself to listen rather than respond.

"The pain was so extreme and my emotional response was so intense, I broke the psychic leash. Because I was so young, I was unable to control my ability. I unintentionally teleported myself to the middle of the busiest highway of Montreal, the one I always watched from our rooftop. The moment when I saw cars would drive into me, I averted them with my Tk."

James briefly met her eyes and his hand jerked on her chest. "Even as a small child it had become apparent my skillset was powerful. My father only never realized how powerful it had become until that day. The road tore open and arched upwards, causing cars to slam down to the earth. People died." Prussian shadows covered the azure of his irises as James stared unseeingly at the hand on her chest. "I still remember the sound of a mother crying for her two daughters. Their car had hit the ground hard enough to smash the back. Both girls were crushed in the vehicle."

He released a breath before looking up at her. "Needless to say, the Council heard of the incident instants after it happened. Within ten minutes it had been decided that my father had to give up his custodial rights. I was sent to a hospital to recover from the burns. Four days later, I arrived at the Arrow facility in Baghdad."

Hailey stroked her hand through his hair, comforting him with touch. "That's why you insisted on staying Silent, isn't it?"

"Yes. My emotional response combined with the pain I experienced caused me to lose control. I never wanted to be in the position where I could harm others again like that. So you see," he said as he locked eyes with her again, azure filled with distance, "the violence, the darkness, it's a part of me. It has been since I was a small boy who killed those two sisters and injured others."

Her heart tore for her Arrow, for the innocent child that had accidentally caused wreckage. He must have been so scared, so confused, especially after being separated from the one person he trusted, the person who seemed to care beyond the construct of Silence.

_And all those experiences must have scarred his soul so, so much._

James was never meant to be Silent, Hailey realized. The intensity of his emotions was a force as potent as his telekinesis. And all this time he'd locked them away behind a wall of frost and self-hatred, the guilt eating away at him. She bit her lip in order to stop herself from soothing him, knowing that pity would be unwelcome. He deserved more, this strong Arrow, deserved to be looked upon with pride for all he'd survived.

"You've never teleported ever since then?" she asked instead.

"No. After almost a year of extra disciplinary measures the trainers decided it wasn't worth the effort if I kept refusing. The combination of my Tk and F-abilities was useful enough to keep me in Baghdad."

Hailey inched closer. "I'm sorry for what happened." She brushed her fingers along his jaw. "And now you're trying to make amends by preventing others from becoming victims?" She couldn't comprehend why he didn't think he was good. He wasn't just a soldier, wasn't a monster. He was a protector. "When will it be enough?"

His eyes lifted to hers, his gaze hard as stone. "Never."

"_James_," she whispered, her heart tearing even further for him. "I understand the choices you're making, but this can't be worth the price you're paying." He was exchanging his soul for the mistakes of a child, a child that wasn't to blame for his actions.

"Even before that happened, I was violent. I was nearly kicked from the school I attended when I was five because I got into fights with other children."

Hailey blinked. It sounded so uncharacteristic, for him to act impulsively. "Why did you fight them?"

James gave her a flat glare. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't change the fact that I've injured and killed more people in the six years before Arrow training than most would their entire lifetime."

Ignoring her aching heart, Hailey gripped his chin. "_Why did you fight?_" James didn't answer, so she pushed. She felt no guilt whatsoever of using this against him if it would give her ammunition to fight for him. "You promised me you wouldn't lie to me. Stay silent and I'll consider it a lie by omission."

He glared at her, azure flames blazing in his eyes. "Be careful, Hailey. You can only push so far."

"Or else what?" she challenged him. Never, _ever_ would he hurt her, even if he lost control over his telekinesis. "What will you do? Finally see sense?" She moved closer, brushed her lips over his, cupped his face in her hands. "You didn't just fight other children for fun. I don't believe that." Another feather-light kiss. "_Tell me_."

His jaw hard as steel, he finally answered her question. "A group of them used to beat up the goose changelings."

Hailey's lips twitched at the victory of his gritted-out words. "Did you win?"

"Don't." He pulled back from her hold and looked at her in that flat way, as if her words didn't matter, his mind already made up. "It doesn't make it right. The only way to balance out the evil is to fight evil as malicious. Everything I've done… it's not a debt I can repay."

She scowled. "So you keep going? Keep hunting down the most dangerous people in the world because of a situation that had been _an accident? _Because you were a child who stuck up for the ones that needed your protection?"

"Yes."

"No!" Hailey placed her hand on his chest, covering the heart that was hers and hers alone. "What if you get hurt? What if something goes wrong during one of those missions and you get injured–or worse–die?" The mere thought of facing the world without him caused her to shudder in rejection.

"Then it's probably what I deserve." It was a statement so calm, it lit the fire in her veins.

"How can you say that? How can you _possibly _believe that to be true?" She cupped his face again. "What about this? What about us?"

James moved with lightning speed, one hand fisted in her hair, the other clenched on her hip. Not under any circumstance would Hailey allow herself to flinch, not even out of surprise. She would _not_ feed the guilt her beautiful Arrow dragged along like a stone weight. Fully aware he'd made the move on purpose to prove his point, she held onto his gaze, unblinking.

"I have to do it. You can't stop me," James said, openly challenging her.

Hailey reined in the urge to argue and inhaled deeply, deciding to use a different strategy to make him see the absurdity of his logic. "What if it was me?" When he frowned ever so slightly, she clarified her question. "What if I was the one going after those Psy, endangering my life on a regular basis because of a misplaced sense of guilt?"

His eyes turned dark again, his tone final. "You could never do it."

The harsh way in which he'd said it–as an attempt to insinuate her weakness–made Hailey bare her teeth at him. She hadn't lied when she told him she wasn't impressed by his harshness anymore. It was almost as if he was waiting for her to turn him down, to walk away without a fight.

_He really can act stupid for a man of his intelligence._

Then again, that was the response he'd had his entire life. No people who'd comfort him and love him. No one to listen to that enticing voice, to hear him. He'd only ever been used as a tool, as a weapon for others to aim and fire at will. And now the time had come where such responses were possible–with her, with the other Arrows–but he had already learned to deal with everything by himself… in a rather unhealthy, self-destructive way.

"You can't either," she hissed, a little annoyed that he was trying to manipulate her in a self-fulfilling prophecy. "It shouldn't be anyone's 'purpose' to face such horrors time after time."

She shivered at the memory of the news footage during the outbreaks of insanity in the PsyNet. It had been a massacre. Streets painted red with blood, bodies slung over cars, even children whom were murdering other children.

Shaking her head, she spoke again. "No one can survive that for years and remain whole. It'll destroy you."

"It's not your choice to make."

Again, he was trying to shut her out, trying to push her away, but Hailey wasn't having it. _No way. He's mine, mine to protect._ Especially from himself.

"Yes, it is," she insisted. "You made it my choice the moment you decided you wanted me. I'm not saying you shouldn't do your job, but if you keep going at this rate, it'll consume you. I won't let you waste your life because of something that wasn't your fault! You were _a child._"

James cupped the side of her face, his fingers weaving through her hair, something vulnerable clouding over the hardness his eyes. "You can't save me from this, Hailey." His voice was quiet as he brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. The defeat she saw in his eyes… that wasn't her Arrow.

What she saw then were the scars of the boy who believed he was a violent murderer, undeserving of hope, evil ready to be banished with all the monsters he'd hunted. Harsh, pitiless, cold and angry, all those things she would allow James to be. But never, _ever_ would she allow him to give up on himself, to walk back in the shadows and stay there for the rest of his lifetime.

"I can and I will!" Fury intertwined with protectiveness, her Tk lashed out and the furniture shuddered in her apartment.

This wasn't something indisputable.

"Are you aware you're forgetting something?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You're forgetting us!"

"It doesn't change anything," he said bluntly as he dropped his hand.

_Stupid, stupid man!_

"It changes _everything_. You can't expect me to watch you kill yourself." She slid off the bed and walked a few steps away before turning towards him. "Maybe not because of physical injuries but there are other ways to die." Her hands curled into fists beside her body, her senses raw. She couldn't stand by while he was punishing himself for something he had no control over. It wasn't right. "You don't get to do that to me. I deserve more, and so do you."

Her words lingered heavily in the air between them for long moments. Hailey drew in a deep breath as she watched the beautiful man sitting on the side of her bed. The beautiful man who'd lived a cruel, brutal life and still was able to touch her with untamed desire, protect her with bone-deep passion. There was far more to him than met the eye. Now, he just needed to see that.

She tipped up her chin when James got off the bed and towered over her, thrusting his hands in her hair and placing his forehead against hers.

"You would fight for me?" His voice soft and low and rough, the sheer weight of his exposed need in that question triggering Hailey's protective instincts.

"_Always."_ It was a fierce promise, fire in her eyes as she rested her hands on his chest. "You cannot fill the void inside yourself with more violence and death. It's not healthy."

His knuckles caressed her cheek. "Aden said something along the same lines." He lifted his head. "I didn't understand it then."

Hailey gave him a wry smile. "But you do now." Curiosity colored her next question. "What did he do?"

A spark in James' eyes, a twitch in the corner of his mouth. "He assigned me to mentor you."

Hailey snorted and shook her head. She reminded herself never to underestimate the force that was Aden Kai. "You probably weren't too happy about that."

"No. But as a subordinate to a commander, I didn't have a choice."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, fulfilling his need with hers. "You do now. I suggest you should choose what makes you happy," she said softly.

James cupped her jaw and brushed his thumb over her lower lip. Hailey closed her eyes for a moment and smiled. "I did. It worked out fine." Her eyebrow rose. "When you're not being such a presumptuous and arrogant man."

Warmth uncurled in James' chest, the tension in his body slowly fading. He didn't have the will to fight her anymore, not when she was fighting _for_ him, for the boy that had killed and had been brutally tortured for it decades after. Hailey's unconditional acceptance of his dark soul and his blood-stained hands meant more to him than he could articulate.

"I believe you meant to say determined and confident man," James countered her taunt.

Hailey grinned and he felt the corner of his mouth tug as tiny flickers jolted in his chest. Her eyes turned golden as her smile grew even wider and she pressed her lips onto his. She nipped at his lower lip, her fingernails a biting sensation on the skin of his shoulders. His chest rumbled as he grabbed hold of her hair, tugging her head back gently as she surrendered to his rugged kisses.

The feel of Hailey in his hands, it would always make him complete. It was like she was his other half and life only made sense when they were together. Perhaps that was the key, perhaps the void inside of him needed her light, her love, instead of the anger and guilt and pain.

"James," Hailey's soft whisper drew his instant attention. "You should think about what it costs you. Don't decide right now, but promise me you'll think it over." She kissed him softly and he held her close, her warmth seeping over into him.

That night James slept with Hailey in his arms, reconsidering his purpose in life as he nuzzled the hair of the most beautiful and important person that had ever walked into his world.


	24. Chapter 22

22

What _the fuck_ was that? We've been getting reports from all over the city! First that attempted kidnapping–that somehow wasn't kidnapping–and then that same fucking Arrow causing havoc at the hospital?

Our apologies. The charge of the Arrow in question was under a direct threat.

That small woman? _She _was under threat? You must be fucking kidding me. You've seen the footage, right?

We'll make sure it doesn't happen again.

Let's fucking hope so.

\- Conversation between WaterSky Eagles and Arrow's communication team

The next morning Hailey woke in James' embrace, his chin nuzzled in her hair while her back was pressed against the warmth of his chest, his arm around her waist. Hailey looked over her shoulder at him, her passionate and strong Arrow.

A smile broke out over her face. She still couldn't quite believe what had happened between them last night. How amazing he'd felt under her hands, how intense the experience had been… and how he'd accepted the claim she'd laid on his heart, his soul. Hailey lifted her hand to caress his arm.

Before she knew it, her arm was locked in an iron tight grip, James' big hand warm around her wrist. She turned so she could look at him and immediately was taken aback by the distant look in his eyes.

"Hey," Hailey whispered, "what's wrong?"

A tiny crease appeared between his eyebrows as he released her. When she reached out to touch him again, she heard his voice in her head.

_Don't. _It was a curt order.

He sat up on the side of the bed.

Hailey frowned and turned towards him. "What's going on?"

James still hadn't answered her question when she hopped out of the bed, the hem of his large thermal shirt skidding against her upper thighs. She walked around the bed and faced him while pushing up the sleeves. James looked like he was staring straight through her, cold and absent.

Hailey folded her arms. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong or are you going to give me the silent treatment again?"

He shot her a dark look. "Turn on the news channel."

Arching her brow, she switched on the entertainment device mounted on the wall across from the bed. She made a swiping motion with her fingers as she searched for the local news.

_Oh. My. God. _

Her jaw dropped. She switched channels. Several times.

A tingling sensation ran up her spine at the news reports. Hailey turned off the device and turned around to face James, who had dressed himself in the meantime. His posture was perfectly statuesque, expressionless face and distant eyes.

_The perfect Silent Psy. The perfect elite soldier. _

She recalled the words the news reporters had used.

_Spontaneous apocalyptic storm. _

She coughed and looked away. _Apocalyptic. _

Hailey couldn't help herself. She snorted and laughed. A small part of it was because of the nerves she felt, but most of it was because _they_ were the source of the commotion that stirred the city. James' Tk was more powerful than Hailey had grasped. She recalled the satellite images the news had shown; almost the entire island of Manhattan had been covered by a lightning storm.

Still… it was quite a remarkable thing. "You're cross because we had sex which was _that_ _good_, it was 'apocalyptic'?" she asked with a grin.

James didn't think it was all that funny. "Get dressed. We're leaving."

Hailey felt the tiny hairs of her neck stand up straight at the command in his voice. Every cell in her body stirred in resistance. "We're not going anywhere." She tried to observe his body language to see what she could do to make him relax and open up to her, but all of a sudden he was _so_ Silent again, it made her heart race in her chest.

"We are. Right now."

Hailey scowled. "Stop that! I'm not one of your recruits." She stepped closer until she stood toe-to-toe with her Arrow, tipping back her head to meet his gaze. "Talk to me, tell me what's wrong."

Eyes unmoving and remote, there wasn't even a glimmer left of the man she had loved yesterday. "Interacting seems to have caused this incident."

Confused, Hailey's emotions went back and forth as she watched James. Drawing in a deep breath, she asked, "What are you talking about? What's the problem?"

His blue eyes slammed into hers. "You are."

Hailey's blood ran cold. _Is he having second thoughts? _Had she coerced him into something he hadn't actually wanted to do?

But that didn't make sense. She'd asked him, and he'd promised to tell her the truth. She hesitated a moment before responding to his cold words. "How… how am I the problem?"

"You're the cause of this," James said coolly.

_Because_, Hailey thought as she read between the lines, _without you, he would have never let go of his Silence, and the lightning storm wouldn't have happened. _

Regardless of his logical thinking, her temper spiked. "Don't you dare put this on me! We caused it together!"

James' emotions made the air spark with electricity, the room loaded with tension. "I could have hurt someone."

"But you didn't, everyone is _fine_. The airlines delayed their flights and you didn't hurt a single person in the entire city. There was only the storm, the news reports said so! You consciously directed your Tk high enough into the air, to a safe spot. Nothing happened."

"Nothing happened?" The air around Hailey turned cold, sending shivers down her skin and making her breath fog the air. "_Nothing happened?_" James had never raised his voice before, but now he was speaking louder than she'd ever witnessed. He turned away from her and looked out of the window, as if to validate the city hadn't crumbled to pieces in the meantime.

"Yes! Everyone is fine!" Hailey felt like shaking him, wanting him to understand that what they'd shared was something beautiful and extraordinary. It had been the most exceptional night of her life. _How could he not see that?_

Something definitely worth repeating. Loads of times. Even if it caused a storm of apocalyptic proportions… or maybe _especially_ because it did just that.

It wasn't merely the sex that made it special.

_Well… Don't lie to yourself, Hales… It _had_ been absolutely sensational. _

Yes, it had been. Butit was mostly the fact that he'd trusted her enough to be vulnerable. To shed the skin of vigilance and subservience for an instant. To truly be himself with her.

And how she adored the man he'd shown her, the funny, passionate and also scarred man behind the mask of Silence.

"What about next time? What if I hurt someone then?" He shoved his hand through the short waves of his blond hair as he turned towards her again. "What if I hurt you?"

Hailey's heart clenched painfully as the tension in her body disappeared, irritation turning into fierce compassion. Once again, James had pushed her away when his control was slipping.

_Be patient with him, Hailey, _she whispered to herself. _Be gentle. Be there for him._

Because every time he pushed her away, it was the moment when he needed her the most. There would come a time when he wouldn't feel like he was alone against the world, an Arrow in solitude. There would come a time for him to count her in.

_Patience is a virtue. _

He was trying and Hailey needed to do right by him. She needed to fight for him, because heaven knew, no one else could do it. He wouldn't let them, wouldn't believe himself worthy of love, time and understanding.

"James." She walked over to cup his face. "You won't hurt others." Her gaze locked with his. "And you wouldn't _ever _harm me. Trust yourself, love," she whispered.

His jaw was a brutal line. "You shouldn't touch me." His voice sounded strained, as if it cost him extreme effort to hold back. Hailey rose on her toes and hauled him closer by using a little Tk. James' eyes narrowed a fraction, but he leaned towards her, his hands white bracketed fists beside his body.

"_Listen to me,_" Hailey demanded. "I'm okay. You're okay. New York is okay." She brushed his hair off his forehead. "We did _nothing _wrong. But if you don't want to do this again because you're afraid you'll lose control, we won't… for now."

"How," his voice dangerously quiet as he grabbed her chin, the hold a little rough, "do you suggest I do so when you're dressed like this?"

Heat was a flame licking over her skin as Hailey saw the shadows in James' eyes turn to pure want_. _The air around her heated that instant.

_Oh…_

She bit her lower lip and saw his eyes flash.

"_Hailey._"With his jaw clenched, James gently removed her hands from his face and stood up straight again. Hailey let him go, not wanting to push him when he was at his limit. Still, not being able to touch him, to love him like last night? That was definitely out of the question.

"I'll get dressed, but is it really necessary for us to leave right now? I'd like to stay for a few days. I've missed my home, my friends." She was already mentally running through several options to find a solution to this complicated problem.

_As if your life isn't messed up enough as it is. _

Hailey mentally slapped herself. That wasn't fair. Her life had changed immensely since the night her powers first went haywire, yet it hadn't all been for the worse–especially not since she'd come to know her Arrow.

"Your training isn't finished yet," James said, his tone clipped.

Hailey tried to turn the conversation from serious to a more light-hearted one. "I know, but as you prove by existing: all work and no play make for a dull boy."

"Careful."

"And," Hailey continued like the warning in that voice of crushed rocks and whiskey cream hadn't sent shivers down her spine, "I still owe you a surprise and you owe me a date. Maybe it's good to do something other than train or lust for each other."

She walked into the bathroom to brush her hair. "At least," she said as she leaned through the doorway while untangling some small knots, "if you're able to get a day off." She scrunched her nose and quickly tied her hair in a messy bun. "I can't imagine you've ever taken a holiday."

The idea of James–wearing only swim shorts and sunglasses–relaxing underneath palm trees on a large towel near the warm water of a sunny, tropical beach made her lips kick up. She'd love to see him like that, love to show him some of the gorgeous places she'd visited.

James was looking out of the window again, clad in his uniform, his hands clasped behind his back. A greater contrast between her fantasy and reality was impossible.

"Being an Arrow is a full-time commitment. Our schedules rotate but we're always on standby."

Hailey rolled her eyes as she walked to the white dresser across from the bed. She selected a simple outfit consisting of jeans and a grey top with short, wide sleeves and walked back to the bathroom.

_This was going really well. _

She wasn't sure what she'd expected of him. Of course he couldn't drop everything when she snapped her fingers, but weren't they allowed some time together?

Hailey decided she'd try one more time, not wanting to fight James about it since he was already agitated with the current situation. She turned on the shower and brushed her teeth as she sent her thoughts to him. _You could ask. And if it's not possible, we'll go back to the valley._

When James didn't reply, Hailey felt a tinge of disappointment darkening her mood as she stepped behind the glass wall of the large shower and quickly rinsed herself off. She wouldn't let her thoughts escalate again, making her insecure by spiraling in negative speculation. She was, however, allowed to be mopey for having only this stolen moment with him.

Sighing, she stepped out of the shower and dried off. When she finished dressing herself and had applied a little make up, she walked out of the bathroom. Untying her bun, her hair cascaded down her back.

James was still standing in front of the window; strong, beautiful and distant. After what he'd told her yesterday, she understood why he'd gone cold. And of course, she didn't want him to add scars onto his hurt psyche, but Hailey didn't understand why he didn't trust himself. He wasn't that small boy anymore; he was a strong, fully-grown man, in control of his abilities, even when his emotions spiked.

Hailey wondered how they were supposed to keep their hands off each other. James had proven to be very tactile, possession in his every touch. She needed the contact in order to feel anchored, secure. Aside from that, she didn't think she'd be able to resist him if they would face off in another sparring session. She'd probably jump him right away on the outdoor training field and wouldn't care one bit about the Arrows watching as she'd kiss the life out of him.

She sat down on the side of the bed to put on her socks. "I'll pack my bag so we can go," she said, hoping her disappointment wouldn't color her voice.

James turned around and knelt in front of her on one knee, his hands on the bed beside her. "There's no need." He sounded a little surprised. "I'm off shift for the next three days."

Hope bloomed in Hailey's heart, making her smile.

"I do have to return to Central Command to put some things in order, but I'll be back tonight."

Hailey had already fisted her hands on her lap in order to stop herself from touching him, when James provided her with what she needed as he reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, stroking her cheekbone with his thumb. Warmth uncurled in her stomach, her entire body simmering in response to his small caress. She wanted so much more, but he would have to be the one to set the pace.

_Patience, _she reminded herself. _Good things come to those who wait. _And this amazing man was definitely worth waiting for.

In the afternoon Hailey visited Shane and Morgan again. Morgan's state was still unaltered; he wasn't declining, but he wasn't getting better either. Because no one knew what was going on, the doctors weren't able to give Morgan proper treatment. At least he wasn't getting any sicker. Still, Hailey hoped they'd figure out what the problem was soon. She hated seeing Morgan like this, hated what it did to Shane.

After supporting her friend for a couple of hours she went home and told Shane she'd be in the city for at least two more nights. Her friend had looked a little better after catching some sleep last night. His father would arrive later in the afternoon, so he wouldn't be alone when she'd leave for the valley.

Hailey called Devraj right after she'd left the hospital and told him about the incident with Matt. Dev's voice was pure ice when he said he'd take care of it. He wasn't too happy about the public demonstration she and James had given–the camera footage was already spreading fast on the Internet–but after Hailey explained the situation, he was a little more understanding… a little being the key words.

So she accepted Dev's angry words and apologized for making his life miserable. After speaking for a few more minutes about her training, she thanked him for helping her out. No way Dev would let Matt off the hook easily.

_Serves him right._

When she got home, Hailey decided to make a last minute dinner reservation so she could keep her promise and go on a date with her Arrow. Preparing for the date kept her mind from going in circles about Morgan's condition.

After taking a long shower to wash the scent of hospital off, she selected one of her favorite garments: a knee length dress with short sleeves in deep burgundy. The dress had a scoop neckline embroidered with black lace and a waistband of the same material. The skirt fanned out a little, enhancing the curves of her hourglass figure. Hailey went through her wardrobe and decided to wear ankle length boots with cross ties and heels. The leather synth boots made the look a little edgy, just the way she liked it.

Her make up was a little more glamorous than her day-to-day look. She used black eyeliner to bring out her eyes and was still swiping on a mauve colored lipstick–the shade a few shades darker then her own lips–when a familiar telepathic whisper had made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

Oh, and the stare James had given her when she'd opened the door…Pure heat and hunger, as if she were a treat he wanted to devour. It sent a shiver down her spine and a blush to her cheeks.

When she told him she'd organized a surprise dinner, he inclined his head and followed her outside after she'd grabbed her purse.

The Italian restaurant she'd chosen was at walking distance from her apartment. It wasn't a very good surprise, but Hailey thought it would do him good to start off slow.

_Besides, it's not like he has much experience in the dating department anyway,_ she reminded herself. This was probably the most exciting James' social life had been since… ever.

Though she wanted to make it up to him in a more creative way, for now she'd enjoy this very normal seeming date with the extraordinary man sitting across from her.

Hailey looked at James, who blended in unexpectedly well. He was wearing a black leather synth jacket over a black V-neck t-shirt and dark blue jeans. Even though he was dressed in normal clothes, he still looked like pure sin and danger. She wrung her hands under the table as she tried not to touch him, not wanting to put him on edge when he was trying so hard for her.

During their walk over to the restaurant several people had done a double take at him and stared at him in awe. One woman had actually mouthed 'good job' at Hailey, though a lot of people were still shooting him wary glances–probably because they'd recognized him from the video on the Internet.

James had been adorably oblivious to the positive attention he was drawing when she'd told him about it. She'd grinned at the uncomprehending look he'd shot her when she told him about all his admirers. Then he had stroked her cheek with his knuckles and shaken his head.

"_You're mine. And I want you. Only you._"

The possessive words he'd spoken still lingered in her mind as she looked at the other people enjoying their food. The restaurant had access to a rooftop balcony where they could dine and watch the traffic pass by on the streets below them. Fairy lights and glass lanterns veiled the guests in an intimate yellow glow. The small mahogany tables were decorated with hologram candles and deep scarlet roses in slim crystal vases. Black napkins, copper cutlery and creamy white plates finished the elegant table setting.

A small breeze whispered against Hailey's face, the lingering heat from the summer's afternoon sun turning to a more gentle temperature at night, but comfortable, even at this altitude. She turned her gaze to her Arrow.

James told her he rarely ate anything besides the regulated and tasteless Psy nutrition drinks and protein bars, so Hailey had ordered some mildly spiced dishes from the menu and had chosen a chicken Alfredo tagliatelle for herself. She'd also selected a small cheese board with bread and antipasto on the side for them to share, just to see James' responses to the flavors.

They'd just finished their starters and were waiting for the main course when a thought popped up in Hailey's head. "Do you think every time there's a thunderstorm somewhere, it's actually a Tk getting their freak on?" She popped an olive in her mouth and offered him one.

James arched his eyebrow a little but bit the briny treat from her fork. He chewed slowly and swallowed before answering her question. "It has been mentioned in the PsyNet that, since the breaking of Silence, more meteorological hazards have occurred."

Laughter bubbled out of her. "You're kidding me. And no one's connected the dots just yet?" She grinned at James when he shook his head. After offering him a piece of cheese–he didn't seem to like the olive much–Hailey dipped a breadstick in aioli and took a bite.

The slightest of frowns appeared on James' face, causing a minor crease between his dark blond eyebrows. "There has been increasing seismological activity in Moscow the past months."

Hailey pursed her lips. "Well, that doesn't necessarily have to mean anything."

"Yes, it does."

Hailey leaned forward. "Why?"

Watching the cars passing through the streets below, James answered. "Because former Councilor Krychek has a residence in the Moscow area."

Hailey's jaw dropped. "No way." She laughed so hard, tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "You're telling me," she took gulp of air, "that he's probably the cause of that? If that news gets public _everyone_ will know when he's getting down and dirty!" Then she froze with her hand slapped over her mouth. "Oh my God!"

James shot her a wondering look.

She clarified her train of thought. "If people understand what is happening, then it'll be the same for us!" Her voice sounded horrified. "_Everyone_ will know when we've had sex if you keep causing thunderstorms like that." Hailey pulled a face. "I'm not sure I'll be able to face my family if they know."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

Wary of his icy tone, Hailey raised her eyebrow while dipping some focaccia in red pesto. "Why?"

James took a sip of his water before answering her question, his gaze hard. "Because it's not happening again."

Hailey nibbled on the bread. "You're going to lose that bet. You know you will."

James' voice demanded every ounce of her attention. "As long as there's a risk I might cause you or others harm, I won't touch you."

A snort. "I thought you had F-abilities." She grinned when he kept glaring at her, all serious and intense and black ops soldier-like. "But it's already very clear to me that you never saw me coming. I'm giving it two days max."

He gave her a measured look. "And you keep reproaching me for being arrogant."

"Well, maybe it's rubbing off on me a little. I like that kind of rubbing, though. Maybe we could shower together so I can rub my naked b–"

"_Hailey._"

God, she loved how dangerous his voice could sound when he tried to chastise her like that. Not that it impressed her much anymore; it just made her want to turn him from serious to sexy, over and over again.

"One day," she challenged him with a small smile as her lips covered the straw of her drink, sipping and looking up at him at the same time. When she was done drinking, she licked her upper lip, then softly sank her teeth in her lower lip, slowly releasing the plump flesh.

The plates and cutlery on the table shook, making a clinking noise. James fisted his hands, knuckles bracketed white on the table as he kept pinning her down with that extremely intense gaze, as if he was running his big hands all over her body. Hailey shuddered.

She didn't _want_ to put him on edge, but honesty compelled her to admit she was happy–and also a little smug–that she was able to incite this reaction in him. James hadn't noticed any of the women on the street or at the restaurant. He was only focused on her. Of course it was a big ego boost that she was able to reach him in ways others couldn't. That she was as special to him as he was to her.

"You're frowning," the question apparent in his tone.

Hailey scrunched her nose and decided to share her thoughts with him.

James just looked at her. "You're mine," he said, as if that explained everything. And somehow, it did.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at his possessiveness. "Yes," she answered, "though we really need to find a solution to this ordeal we're having." She stared at the people walking through the street below as an idea occurred to her. "Maybe I should ask Ivy. Besides being a teleporter, Vasic is also a Tk, right?"

"Hmm," James' deep voice made a shiver run up her spine.

_God, you have no resistance whatsoever to this man._

He didn't answer Hailey's question. "So she's the one who told you about the dissonance."

Hailey thanked the waitress when their main courses were put in front of them before she returned her focus to James. "Yes, now spill. Who gave you the manual?"

His answer made Hailey laugh. "_Both_ Aden and Vasic? Well, aren't they sneaky matchmakers?" Hailey smiled brightly at the extraordinary man who sat across from her, happiness turning her blood to champagne even though their relationship hadn't been sunshine and rainbows from the start. She recalled her first meeting with him, how cold he'd been.

"Was I right about your lack of visions of our meeting?" Curiosity colored her voice as she picked up her fork and took a bite from her food.

"I already told you I rarely have visions," James said. He systematically ate a few bites of his farfalle with sage before answering. "But no, I never saw you–which might have been a good thing."

Hailey finished chewing before she replied. "How so?"

James observed her, his eyes lingering on her mouth a moment before his gaze flicked to her eyes. "I wasn't ready to know."

"Ha!" Hailey exclaimed as she pointed her fork toward him. "You're saying if you knew, you would have ran straight to the opposite direction at the sight of me?" She pulled a face.

"Of course not," James' tone was filled with its usual dose of arrogance. "Arrows don't run away. They fulfill their duty."

Snorting, Hailey took another bite. "I'd say you're fulfilling your duty quite extensively and enthusiastically, Mr. Addison." She wiped her mouth with a napkin before looking up at him again. "You scared me when we first met."

James' eyebrow rose a fraction. "As I recall, I hardly spoke."

"Yeah, that was kind of the problem. You being extremely handsome but all distant-soldier-badass was kind of frightening," Hailey admitted.

Azure blue eyes pinned her down, making everything around her go quiet, James her only point of focus. "You scared me as well."

Hailey leaned closer over the table and reached for his hand. "How? I was hardly a threat."

His hand closed around hers, his thumb stroking the pulse of her wrist. Hailey closed her eyes a moment at the touch, the feeling of the skin-to-skin contact making her heartbeat flutter.

_Your eyes,_ his voice a deep hum resonating in her mind. _Your voice. _His eyes ran over her before he met her gaze again. _Your body. It all made me respond. It all made me feel. _

Hailey fell even deeper for him than she'd thought possible. _Was that why you reacted so harsh in the beginning? _

Right then, the waitress returned to ask if they were finished. Sighing since the magic of the moment was lost, Hailey asked for the check and put on her coat after they'd paid. Together they walked through the busy streets of the city, but because Hailey was still a little uncertain if James would be able to repeatedly handle her touch, she shoved her hands in the pockets of her fitted black trench coat.

"Would you like to see the bar where I've performed?"

James answered something in agreement. His mind was still going over the conversation they'd just had at the restaurant. Yes, he had been harsh towards Hailey to create distance between them. At the time he'd done it to shield himself from feeling, but the irony was that every time she'd gotten angry and had countered him, his emotional responses to her had grown.

He looked down at her. The top half of her hair was pinned up in a complicated braid, the rest flowing in dark waves down her back. Her make up framed her unique eyes with black, jade and gold lights shimmering in the deep brown of her irises. Her full lips looked extra plump by whatever she'd used to accent them.

Kissable. Bitable.

James sucked in a quiet breath to redirect his thoughts. He hardly dared to look at her dress. The color reminded him of red wine, complementing her caramel skin tone. The way it wrapped around her body, showcasing the luscious curves of her breasts and hips… that made him want to break every promise he'd made this morning.

When he'd returned from the valley to meet Hailey at her apartment, he'd almost carried her back inside after she'd opened the door. He'd never seen her dress like this before. Usually her outfits were practical and comfortable, but tonight? Hailey was pure feminine seduction with the intoxicating scent of peonies and cedar around her. The slight blush on her cheeks and the light that appeared in her eyes when she'd looked at him had only added to his hunger for her. He'd concentrated on reining in his abilities when they walked to the restaurant and had barely tasted a single bite he'd eaten, her vicinity stirring his thoughts.

He found it extremely difficult to control himself in her proximity, especially since he'd experienced a flicker of what life with Hailey might mean. Waking up next to her was something he wanted to do every day, but when he had checked the PsyNet while enjoying her warm body pressed against his this morning, the news reports about the storm had flooded the feed and he'd shut down, reacting harshly once again to create distance.

The only positive aspect of their intimacy was that Aden had been proven right: his shields on the Net had held even though his Tk had snapped out of control.

The voice in his mind sounded much like Hailey when she was taunting him. _Was that the _only_ positive aspect you experienced?_

He ignored his thoughts and watched the singular woman next to him. Seeing Hailey's slightly stiff walk as she kept her hands in the pockets of her coat made him angry. Angry because he wasn't giving her what she needed, and angry because he couldn't take what was his. He didn't want to hurt her. He'd already done that more times than he could forgive himself for. Controversially, the only way to protect her from his Tk was to keep his distance again.

He thought it might be better if they went somewhere public than to face her alone in the secluded warmth of her apartment, so he had agreed to her suggestion. When she looked up at him again, he realized she'd asked him a question but he'd been too preoccupied with his thoughts to fully process it.

A small crease appeared between her eyebrows; her eyes big. "Are you all right? You haven't said a word since we left the restaurant."

He reached out and caressed her cheek when they stopped in front of a small building with dim lights and music humming inside.

Hailey closed her eyes for a moment and her full lips parted. He drew back his hand before he could break his promise, her response inciting desire so vast, he wanted to lunge at her and kiss her until they both couldn't breathe.

Her pupils dilated when she looked at him, gold sparking in her eyes. James clenched his jaw and sent his Tk into the air, causing a sudden burst of warmth circling around them.

_I don't want to go inside_, Hailey's voice husky and tempting in his mind.

He nudged her towards the door as she laughed at his reply. _You're like a siren, luring men towards you. You'll be the death of me._

A glint in her expressive eyes and a mysterious smile around her lips. "You don't know the half of it." She hung her coat on a rack next to the entrance and walked over to the bar across from the doorway. Loud music drummed through the space, reminding James of Hailey's playlist.

A slender bartender walked towards them and smiled brightly at Hailey. Then she looked at him, and back at Hailey again with big eyes. Apparently Hailey's observations were more accurate than he'd realized.

"Hi, Hales! Haven't seen you around for a while!" the brunette said after a few moments as she curiously ran her eyes up and down his frame.

"Hi Jo, could we get two club sodas?" Hailey's voice was barely audible over the music.

The brunette quickly prepared the drinks while Hailey leaned against the bar and looked around. James followed her gaze and saw the small stage to the left of the room. He recognized the wall filled with small portraits and could imagine Hailey standing on the low stage and singing.

The space wasn't crowded. Several people sat on high stools at the bar, watching sports on the entertainment comms mounted on the walls. Others were conversing at small tables throughout the room, the atmosphere relaxed, calm.

Putting the drinks on the bar beside them, Jo leaned over the bar to whisper something in Hailey's ear that made her grin. Hailey replied something that made the bartender sulk as she jumped back and went to serve other customers.

_What did you tell her?_

Hailey took his hand and pulled him towards her. He leaned forward so his ear was right next to her mouth.

"Jo asked if she could have your number." Her breath was an invisible caress to his skin. "So I told her you're one of those super hip people that denounced technology and women, while being devoted to vegetables and lattes."

His eyebrow arched slightly as he turned his face to look at her. She was biting her lip to hold back a grin, but it was a losing battle. "I'm a technician."

Hailey's eyes sparkled in humor.

_And why would I ever consider renouncing women with such a unique example right next to me?_

Hailey looked to her left, where the bartender was cleaning a few glasses, then tipped up her head toward him, her voice pitched to carry over the music. "Did you mean Jo?"

He felt the corners of his mouth twitch while that strange tingling sensation spread through his chest again. Hailey's eyes were streaked with jade as she smiled in a way that seemed exclusive for him.

A voice in James' mind whispered that it was illogical to deny himself her affection, yet his need for her wellbeing kept him in check. He had lost control yesterday and had nearly caused Manhattan to–

Realization dawned on him.

Hailey was right. He hadn't caused anything other than some inconvenience and a little disorder. He wasn't one of the uncontrolled, untrained Psy that lived in the ages before the Silence Protocol was initiated. Yes, he'd caused a lightning storm, but it had been a conscious effort to make sure his Tk was directed high in the sky. And he'd been able to do it because of his training, despite his lack of control during their lovemaking.

It still made him apprehensive of participating in intimacies like last night again, but James figured he would be able to build up towards that. After all, Arrows learned basic skills by repetition and practice. And he found he was _extremely_ motivated learning this new skill, not only to achieve the basic level but honing himself until he became an expert at it.

His skin pulsed with heat at the idea of repetitively kissing, licking and stroking Hailey, causing her to whimper feminine cries of pleasure. James wondered if she would mind. Then he reminded himself of her offer to teach him and felt his mouth go dry.

Hailey had been watching him in the meantime, her breath shallow and her skin flushing, like she'd read his thoughts. Desire turned her eyes to molten gold… and James couldn't resist her anymore.

His hand slipped around Hailey's nape and he pulled her towards him, slanting his lips over hers. Her lips parted for him, warm and welcome as her curvy body pressed against his. He deepened the kiss, stroking his tongue against hers, sucking at her lower lip and biting the plump flesh.

Hailey was liquid honey in his arms, her breasts pushed up against him as she grabbed hold of his hair. Suddenly she froze.

"Wait," she whispered as she pulled back out of his hold.

James felt a familiar emptiness as he released her. "What's wrong?"

Hailey gestured to the door behind him. "Shane's here."

James followed her gaze to the entrance of the bar, where her dark-haired friend shrugged off his denim coat and hung it next to Hailey's. James frowned a little. _This is concerning_. Not the fact that one of Hailey's friends had arrived.

No.

He'd been so preoccupied with Hailey that he hadn't been aware of his surroundings. Arrows were trained to register the exact number of people, their movements, all possible escape routes and general hazards when walking into a room. After that, they were supposed to be vigilant, constantly registering changes until they returned to base. The fact that he'd been entirely off guard because of his need for Hailey was unacceptable.

James checked his shields in the Net while keeping an eye on the woman whose name was etched on his heart. He made a mental note of the situation and decided to ask Aden for council when he returned to the valley.

Hailey walked over to her friend and hugged him before taking his hand and pulling him along to the bar. The black-haired male had had smudges under his eyes and stubbles visible. As Shane hauled himself onto a barstool, he ordered a beer. Then he held out his hand and looked up at James.

"Never got the chance to introduce myself. Shane Austin."

James briefly shook Shane's hand while staring straight into deep green eyes. "James Addison."

Hailey watched the very standoffish, macho way the two most important men in her life introduced themselves. She wondered if she should ask Jo whether there were any old-fashioned dueling pistols hidden somewhere behind the bar.

_No, that probably wouldn't work out too well for Shane_.

She tried to think of a more equal challenge for both men but came up dry after considering and dismissing the idea of a spelling contest.

It was strange how two people she loved were this immensely different from each other. Where James was controlled, serious and intense, Shane was usually good-natured, social and impulsive. Since Hailey's characteristics matched Shane's, she figured it would take a while for Shane to grow on James. Heaven knew it had taken her long enough.

A tall glass with gold liquid appeared on the bar as Jo shot James another look, a rueful expression on her face. Hailey grinned before turning to Shane.

"I didn't think you'd come here to watch the game while Morgan is still in the hospital." She took in her friend but stopped herself from physically reaching out, reminding herself of the promise she made to James.

Shaking his head, Shane drank half of his beer before putting the glass down on the bar again. "Dad's with him. He told me to catch a break but I couldn't sleep at home. I also spoke to Matt yesterday after you left," his voice was a growl as he faced her. "He kept his mouth shut, but I got the general idea of what went down when he left all pissed off after the M-Psy healed his arm. The medic refused to heal his bruise, told him it'd heal on its own in a few days. Nice swing by the way." Shane saluted at James. "I see you're making quite the fighter of her. Not much of a surprise, though, seeing that you prowl around like one of the tiger changelings. You only seem a bit more lethal, but maybe that's just show." He shrugged as he took another gulp of beer.

"I'd be happy to give you a demonstration," James said coolly.

Shane narrowed his eyes at James, whose face was expressionless… except for the flare of bright azure.

Hailey ignored James and arched her eyebrow at her friend. "Are you drunk?" She really didn't want to make this any more of a pissing contest than it already seemed to be. Hailey could tell by the glint in Shane's eyes he was ready to poke the proverbial bear. With James' lack of social skills, he'd probably say something harsh which would give Shane an excuse to snap. Or maybe James would try to insult Shane simply because he could.

Giving Shane a warning glance, Hailey leaned back against the bar. Shane picked up his glass again and tipped it in Hailey's direction, strands of raven-black hair sliding across his forehead. "Not yet, but that was the point of coming to the bar. Given the current circumstances, I think it's more than fair that I get a little wasted."

Heart clenching for her friend, Hailey wanted to reply but before she could say something, James' voice sounded over the music. "I'd believe drinking elaborately would prove to be problematic, considering the Forgotten's psychic abilities."

Hailey pursed her lips. "That's only partially true. It does affect some more than others depending on the nature of the abilities, but most of us can handle a few social sips. Why?" She tipped her head a little to the side. "Psy can't drink?"

Shane nudged at Hailey with his elbow, receiving a glare from James. "Nah, Hales. It does weird stuff to them. A Psy I know wanted to hang out with me and the guys, so he got in a few beers. After a while we thought he was hallucinating but he told us he was fine. The alcohol just messes with their minds."

Shane inclined his head towards James, the motion causing his unstyled hair to shift again, the black strands reflecting the golden glow coming from the glass lights hanging above the bar. "Because they're such psychic beings, their connection to the PsyNet gets messed up. The guy from my work started telepathing the most random messages to every Psy that was in the radius of fifty yards." He took another gulp of his beer before slamming the empty glass down on the bar and gesturing at Jo for another round. "Good thing he was a low Gradient, but he was still out of it for three days after." Shane arched his eyebrow at James. "Sorry man, you better stick to soda. I'm guessing you're in another league entirely."

Hailey couldn't imagine the devastation it would cause if James' powers ever went that erratic, even though the thought of a merrily tipsy James made her lips tug. In her fantasies he was allowed to have a pleasant drunk while generously smiling and swaggering a little, his eyes hooded.

The topic of alcohol made something in her head 'ping'. Frowning, she sent her thoughts to James. _Do you think that my powers turning erratic somehow is connected to drinking?_

The familiar touch of his telepathy in her mind, cool, strong and protective. _Not necessarily. You've had several incidents without the use of alcohol. _

While that was true, Hailey did recall having a drink the night the incidents started.

_Razor sharp shards slicing through skin. Shrill screaming in her mind. Blood dripping down her hand._

Hailey shuddered as the memories of that night rapidly flashed past her mind's eye. Grabbing her drink and taking a few sips did nothing to calm her nerves. Suddenly she felt a warm hand on the small of her back, James' touch anchoring her to the present. Releasing a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding, Hailey looked up at James. His azure eyes observed her, his posture a little stiff as he drew away his hand.

"What did I just miss?" Shane interrupted.

Returning her attention to her friend, Hailey shook her head before answering his question. "I was just thinking about the night where my life got really messed up."

Shane's eyes softened as he tapped his glass against hers. "Well, bottoms up then, Witch. We go through shit but we'll be alright eventually." He looked up at James. "And if not, we'll always have a designated driver to get us home."

Hailey smiled and shook her head again, putting away those awful memories in a dark corner of her mind. "You have no idea who you're dealing with if you're trying to rattle lord Addison over here."

Hailey squealed when she felt a pinch in her butt. She narrowed her eyes at James, who was standing with his hands clasped loosely behind his back.

_Behave!_

Oak moss and sandalwood circled around her, the presence of him in her mind and her heart. _Make me._

Hailey felt warmth uncurl in her chest at that extremely suggestive comment. Butterflies flew in her stomach and her cheeks heated. _Game on, milord. But I'll only touch you if you ask me._ She provocatively arched an eyebrow._ Maybe we should play this game naked._

_How tempting, Miss Logan. I must warn you, Arrows are extremely disciplined._

Snorting, Hailey replied while taking a sip from her drink, remembering just how disciplined he'd been when she'd put her mouth on him. _Remember what I said. I give you one day at best, and I'm bringing my A-game._

His answer made her head snap towards him in surprise.

_I've always shown great aptitude towards exploring new techniques. This is a technique I'd like to research a little more._

She nearly choked on her drink at the mental image he sent next. It was of her, from his viewpoint between her legs, her back arched and skin flushed. He parted her sodden folds while plunging in his fi–

Shane spoke before Hailey could comment on James' sudden altered attitude towards intimate skin privileges. "You guys are doing it again." Shane looked from her to James and back again. His eyebrows knitted together. "Hailey, what the hell is up?"

Skin hot and cheeks full red, Hailey shook off the image that had her pressing her thighs together and looked up at James for confirmation before turning to Shane. "James is helping me control my new abilities. During training we discovered that we could connect telepathically."

Shane whistled, aware that–unlike him–Hailey couldn't 'path anyone. "Well, isn't that romantic?"

Hailey punched his arm. "Shut up." Even though Shane was being a smartass, she couldn't help smiling. "It's actually really useful, although I haven't figured out how to block the connection yet."

Hailey felt rather than saw James stiffen next to her just as Shane's phone rang.

"Just a second," Shane absently said to them. Because the music inside was too loud to overhear the caller, Shane gestured with his hand to the front door and answered his phone as he walked away.

James was still standing with his hands clasped behind his back, yet, he wasn't blending in as well anymore because of his stark face and posture.

Hailey automatically reached for his arm but stopped herself before she could touch him. Even though she was taunting him and really wanted, _needed_ to touch him, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable before they'd spoken about the 180 he seemed to have made.

When she looked up, his eyes were stone cold. _Do you want to block the connection?_

Hailey scowled at his insinuation. She rose on tiptoe so she could speak in his ear without raising her voice too much over the music. "You told me I needed to work on my shielding."

He didn't answer, his jaw a tight line. Hailey leaned back. _You know I do__–_

Her telepathic message broke off, like it was somehow rebuffed against a solid, dark wall. Her mood darkening, Hailey spoke aloud again. "That's not fair. You can't punish me by cutting me off."

James' gaze was still hard when he replied. "I'm not punishing you for anything. I'm doing as I'm requested."

"Bullshit, I didn't ask you to do this!" Anger uncoiling inside of her, she grabbed his hand and pulled him outside so they could speak without shouting over the loud music.

She slammed open the door and walked a few feet away from the entrance before turning to James again. Shadows fell over his face in the dark of the street as he leaned against the building. His muscles were bunched under his jacket and his cheekbones stood out sharply against his taut golden skin.

Shane, who'd finished his call on the other side of the building, walked back towards the entrance of the bar, shooting her a questioning look. Hailey shook her head and Shane shrugged as he stepped back inside.

Hailey watched her Arrow. "James," she started as she felt a tingling sensation run up her spine.

It had been dark _that_ night as well.

Shaking her head, she snapped out of the vivid memory and looked at the man in front of her. James wouldn't let anything happen to her, even if he was angry. She was sure of that.

He stood up straight and walked towards her. Hailey arched back her head in order to meet his gaze, while James backed her up against the wall, his hands slamming down on either side of her face. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, she saw a cascade of emotions reflected in azure blue.

"I don't know how to do this," James said through gritted teeth, his voice carrying the edge of a growl.

Hailey cupped his face, her heart jerking painfully inside her chest. "You're not doing anything wrong," she started, but James cut her off.

"I can tell what you need. And Shane–" He stopped talking as rain began to drizzle from the sky. "Others can give you what I can't."

Hailey felt like all the air was punched out of her. "No, they can't." Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she wiped his hair off his forehead, tiny droplets of rain resting on the blond waves. "We've already had this discussion. They're not you."

Thunder sounded overhead.

"I won't ever be like them," James' voice was quiet, his hands still on the wall and his lips a grim line.

Tears welled up in the corners of Hailey's eyes as the strangest feeling overwhelmed her. "I don't want you to be. I don't want them!" she raised her voice, tried to reason with him. "It's you. It'll only ever be you." The distant look in his eyes broke her heart.

She pushed at his chest. "Tell me what's wrong! Where is this coming from?" Her voice was hoarse with emotion. "Is it because I wanted control over the telepathic communication?"

James kept looking at her with that detached gaze, the one that made him the perfect soldier.

"Talk to me," she demanded as she pushed at him again.

He didn't move an inch.

"Why does it feel as if you're leaving me?"

Blue eyes slammed into hers. "Because I am."

Everything around her went quiet. The only thing Hailey heard was the blood rushing through her ears. Her heartbeat pulsed rapidly in her chest, the agonizing ache intensified James' sudden coldness.

"What?" Hailey's arms fell beside her body, immobilized by his words. "I don't understand," it was a broken whisper, her voice barely audible.

James stood up straight. "I have to go."

Confusion, anger and pain all collided in Hailey's heart. Desperation made her shiver as a tear fell down her cheek. _What's happening? Why is he doing this to us?_

She knew they would run into problems while being together, but she didn't expect him to give up after a few bumps in the road. Why had her mention of their connection set him off like this? Suddenly, a memory shot through her mind.

"_Arrows don't run away. They fulfill their duty." _

Even though James had said the words as a joke, Hailey was certain they held a vein of truth. Grabbing the lapels of his jacket, she pulled James towards her. His arms caged her in again, his hands on the wall above her shoulders.

"What's changed?" Her voice was steel, fire in her eyes. "What happened?" Hailey was so, _so _angry with him for pulling this stunt. But she understood. Her protective, intense Arrow would rather hurt himself than harm her. Whatever misery he knew he was causing her by leaving, he thought the pain would be worse if he stayed.

_Stupid, stupid man! _He always thought he knew best. _Arrogant, presumptuous man! _And he would always try to protect her.

"Tell me!" Her voice trembled. "Less than two hours ago you call me yours, and all of a sudden you're backing out? What are you protecting me from?" She moved her hands from his chest to his jaw, softly stroking his cheek with her thumb.

James remained quiet, unmovable and silent like the cold mountains he preferred in solitude.

"Don't go," Hailey pleaded, shattering from the inside. "If there's something wrong, we can work it out together."

The ice in James' eyes made Hailey bite her lip to prevent herself from crying even more. "Whatever's wrong won't be fixed by staying together." His tone was curt, as if he was speaking to a subordinate. "Staying together is the problem."

Hailey's stomach knotted as she wiped the trails of tears mixed with rain from her cheeks. "How? How can anything be better when you're not with me? Why do you want to push me away again?"

And even though Hailey vowed to be brave, to be bold and to step into uncharted territory with an open heart, she couldn't stop doubt from seeping through. The longer James watched her with that indifferent look, the more the insecurity rose to the foreground.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "We shouldn't be together."

His words felt like Hailey was struck in her face. "According to who?" It came out raw. She didn't believe him, didn't _want_ to believe what he was saying… but his next words were the final strike in the blows he'd dealt her.

"According to me."

Static noise filled Hailey's head as she tried to inhale, tried to breathe. Everything seemed to be spinning, her world crumbling and sinking in front of her. How could he be so callous?

"Is this…" A small sob escaped her lips. "Is this it? You don't want this anymore?"

A gale of stabbing turmoil in her heart, Hailey pushed past the hurt and spoke again. She _had_ to know. She had to know if she'd been wrong about him. After everything they'd shared, everything they'd given to each other. So she used something that would either enrage him… or mean nothing to him at all.

"You've had me once, right? And now you're done?" God, it hurt to think that, but she couldn't help pushing in order to snap the fragile glass wall between them, to break whatever was between them for good. Because breaking it would be better than to keep cutting herself at the serrated edges that always seemed to surround their relationship. Better to crash hard than to bleed out slowly.

"Say it, then! Tell me I was a decent fuck, nothing more!" Her coarse words were like shots fired in a silent room, her breath clouding the air as the temperature around them dropped fast.

"Say it!" Hailey shouted as she pushed at his chest, her heart torn apart at the thought of losing him. "If you don't want me, say it to my face!"

Snowflakes replaced the rain and drifted onto the pavement. Several fell on her rain-damp shoulders. Skin pebbling at the cold inside her soul, she shivered and waited. Long minutes passed, but James didn't speak, all emotion hidden away behind an expressionless mask. Even his eyes were blank.

Unable to deal with him so close but so far out of reach, Hailey pushed his arm away. James stood up straight and dropped his arm next to his body, allowing Hailey to walk out of the intimate confinement.

She stared at the dark street, covered in a fine layer of soft white snow, while the swaying snowflakes turned to hail, tapping on the pavement. Shuddering, she wrapped her arms around herself and turned around.

And James was gone.


	25. Chapter 23

23

The urge, it's so bad

Needing all you have

Sundown's solace, severed **fractured**

Dim all the lights tonight

You know all my weaknesses (…)

*note to self: burn this verse

I cannot stay, I cannot leave

Your voice haunts me in my sleep dreams

So you close the doors and throw the keys

Pin me down and make me scream

The highest of highs, the lowest of lows

*note to self: you're not writing depressing goddamn poetry, for fuck's sake!

**I hate you.** I hate you, I hate you, I HATE you

I FUCKING HATE THIS

Whisper words of love to me,

Release me when I sway

And when I fall in defeat…

Leave my broken heart to bleed

\- Unfinished lyrics written by Hailey Logan

Hailey was still in the city three weeks later. She hadn't heard from James. No message. No call.

Nothing.

Two days after the night when James had left, Hailey visited Shane. When she'd returned to her apartment later that afternoon, her duffel and guitar stood in the middle of her living area.

Hailey hadn't cried the night after James had left, like a naive part of her was still hoping he'd turn up and tell her it had all been a mistake. She'd even ignored the automatically rejected messages she'd tried to send James on her datapad; they had stated James' account was nonexistent, even though he'd sometimes sent messages from that account to her while she was in the valley.

But when she saw her luggage, her world came crashing down on her, as if the return of her duffel and guitar were symbolic for the end of a chapter in her life. She'd cried for hours, until the tears stopped coming. She was broken and numb–a familiar experience–but this time was far worse than James' previous rejection.

This time she'd held him, closed him deep inside her heart. She'd given herself to him, had trusted him with her heart, had shared her body, had surrendered her soul... And he'd walked away from it all, like it had been nothing.

A day after her luggage had been dumped in her home, the car in front of her apartment was gone. It was as if the past months hadn't happened, but for the memories she had. The days blended into each other and her nights were worse than before. Hailey barely slept anymore. Instead, she used her time to go through her martial arts routine. Sometimes it wore her down enough to sleep. Sometimes.

After a week her pillows didn't smell like James anymore. Putting clean sheets on the bed, Hailey hoped she could forget him. He seemed to have forgotten her, so it was worth the try. That hope proved to be false.

Even music held no appeal. Hailey was unable to touch her instruments or listen to music without thinking of James. Every time she saw her guitar, a veil of sorrow covered her, encasing her in even more agony than she already felt. Where music had banished her other nightmares, it wasn't able to reach her this time.

The only moments she recalled feeling remotely human was when she'd visited Shane and Morgan. She was able to put up a front for Shane, had done so from the moment she'd returned inside the bar to tell him she was going home. He'd walked with her while she'd plastered a smile on her face and chatted with him to keep him from drowning in his own sorrows. He'd slept on the couch and had left for the hospital early the next day.

Hailey was happy–as much as she was able to feel happiness right now–that she'd kept this from Shane. He had other things to worry about than her messed up love life, especially since Morgan's state was getting worse.

Morgan was becoming more and more dependent of the medical machines to regulate his temperature and vitals. Several treatments were initiated, but nothing seemed to help the gentle teenage boy.

Anger was the only thing fueling Hailey. A thousand questions spun through her head, yet she couldn't find a solid answer to any of them. Maybe James thought he wanted her because they had physical chemistry but when push came to shove, he realized he didn't love her. Maybe something had gone wrong and the Squad was in need of his assistance, and he couldn't deal with her and another problem at the same time. Maybe he'd just known that they were never meant to last, had seen it with his foresight.

_Maybe, maybe, maybe…_

Insecurity spiked several times, still, Hailey couldn't shake the certainty that something bad had happened which had caused James to leave. His feelings for her had always seemed unadulterated, intense, raw… Though, as proven by his sudden departure and lack of communication since, she obviously hadn't known him as well as she'd thought. His behavior the night he left had changed so suddenly; Hailey hadn't known what hit her. And though she still believed this wasn't about her conversation with Shane–where she'd implied blocking the telepathic connection with James–she couldn't figure out what the problem _had_ been.

It didn't matter.

There was only silence and no answers to her questions. There was no taunting and pushing until he showed her his true self.

There was just… nothing.

The sound of her phone snapped her out of her sulking thoughts. Hailey saw it was her friend and co-worker Aiseline calling. After a short conversation Aiseline persuaded Hailey to come along on a shopping spree. The school where Hailey used to work held a summer gala event for the senior students in two weeks and Aiseline had asked Hailey to help her pick a dress.

Before leaving her apartment, Hailey quickly smeared on some make up to cover up the dark smudges under her eyes. After applying a nude lipstick, she grabbed her purse and left on foot, meeting Aiseline at a small café on their route to the boutique.

The summer air swept warmth against her skin. Wearing a dark blue top with a lace back and three-quarter length jeans, Hailey tied her hair in a high ponytail as she walked through the crowded streets. It seemed the nice weather had a positive effect on everyone's mood. Maybe it could help her a little as well.

"Hailey!" A tall, slender brunette beamed at her, standing out from the crowd in her tangerine sundress and gladiator heels.

Hailey never understood how Aiseline did it, but she'd never seen her friend wear anything but four-inch heels. It made her look like a model and students were often in awe of the classical beauty of the other woman. That was, until they discovered that Aiseline was just as demanding as every other teacher they had.

_Never judge a book by its cover._

The tight embrace from her beautiful friend comforted Hailey more than she could have thought.

"Hello, gorgeous." Hailey smiled as she hugged Aiseline back.

Aiseline leaned back and studied Hailey's face. A small frown appeared between her perfectly manicured eyebrows. "Shane told me you were back in town," she hooked her arm through Hailey's and pulled her along. "Are you alright?"

Hailey rolled her eyes. "Don't even get me started," she answered truthfully without getting too much into the mess that was her life right now.

Even though Aiseline knew about Hailey's telekinetic abilities, she wasn't one of the Forgotten. Aside from that, she didn't know of the new and erratic ability that lurked over Hailey's life like a dark shadow. Not wanting Aiseline to worry, Hailey hadn't told her. Aiseline was easily stressed, and Hailey didn't want to burden her friend.

Hailey still remembered the last time when children had missed a deadline to hand in a history assignment Aiseline had given them. Aiseline had called them and their parents _ten_ times before one of the students had answered, telling her they'd 'totally forgotten about it' and had gone to the gym together. Because it was an assignment that was essential for the students' graduation, Aiseline had a fit before extending the deadline, as the stress brought on red blotches that marked her flawless peach skin and turned her eyes frantic.

No way Hailey would let her friend fuss over something that was _massively_ worse than getting an F to bring down your average.

They chatted as they walked to the small boutique Aiseline wanted to check out. Hailey felt a little lighter, as if some of the weight from James' departure was temporarily lifted from her heart.

Aiseline's cheery character turned out to be more infectious than the weather, and Hailey found herself smiling true for the first time in weeks. When her heart clenched at that little bit of happiness, she slammed down the ugly memories and concentrated on spending time with her friend.

"Will you come?" Aiseline asked from the fitting room after dismissing a beautiful silk gown in a soft gold color that was a little too revealing to be appropriate for a school event.

Hailey shook her head as she sat down on the small sofa in the fitting area, mirrors reflecting her utterly unimpressive appearance in comparison to Aiseline. "I don't think I should."

"Why not?" Aiseline stuck her head through the curtains. "You're still one of the faculty members as far as I'm concerned. You promised me you'd come back after your sabbatical."

_Ha. Sabbatical. Good one. _

When Aiseline saw Hailey's expression, her features softened. "The kids would love to see you again, even if you'd only come for an hour."

Hailey shrugged when Aiseline popped back into the fitting room. "Even if I'd come, I wouldn't know what to wear."

Aiseline slid back the curtains to reveal a royal blue dress with a modest neckline, accenting her slender build and fanning out at the bottom. "How convenient we're in a dress store!" She waggled her eyebrows as she strode towards the wall of mirrors. "We can choose something nice right away."

Hailey tried to keep a straight face but failed when Aiseline winked continuously with one eye.

"You're terrible." Hailey shook her head at the kiss her friend blew to her mirror image. "So this was all premeditated?"

Her friend's face was suddenly extremely innocent, but for the glimmer in her hazel eyes.

"Damn it," Hailey muttered as she pushed herself up from the comfortable sofa. "Remind me to punch Shane when I see him." Even though she didn't feel like playing dress up right now, she couldn't reject her friend's efforts so harshly. Hailey decided to go for it.

_Why the hell not, right? It's not like you've got anything to lose. _

One hour later, Aiseline decided on a copper-colored empire gown that made her look like a deity. Hailey applauded when Aiseline twirled around, giddy with her new purchase.

After trying on several dresses, a few of which chosen by her friend, Hailey stepped out of the fitting room wearing an emerald organza dress.

Gasping, Aiseline pulled her in front of the mirrored wall. "You look absolutely stunning, Hales! This is definitely the one."

Hailey watched her reflection and had to agree. Even though she wasn't sure if she'd attend the event–the possibility of her abilities snapping out of control still too much a risk–the dress was wonderful.

The soft material flowed around her and hugged her every curve. The top was asymmetrical, diagonally running over her left shoulder, leaving her right one bare. A narrow gold belt slung around the waist, the fine chains reaching to the bottom where the skirt fanned out a little.

When she took a few steps, she felt rather than saw a hidden slit that ran up to her thigh. The design was quite clever, as it didn't reveal her leg since the fabric was layered over the slit but made her movements less restricted.

"Any man that sees you will drool all over you." Her friend suggestively arched her eyebrow as she elbowed Hailey gently.

Hailey felt her heart tighten.

"_I don't want them. It's you. It'll only ever be you."_

She released a breath and smiled at her friend, not wanting Aiseline to see her breaking down. "You're right, it's amazing and comfortable. I'm taking it."

"Yes, girl!" Aiseline whooped as she clapped her hands.

Hailey felt her mask slipping and quickly walked back into the fitting room to change. She slumped down on the narrow bench in the small space, rubbing her hands over her face. _Keep it together Hales. _

Hailey inhaled and exhaled a couple of times and quickly changed into her casual outfit.

After paying for the dresses, they decided to grab another coffee. They chatted for another hour before Hailey waved Aiseline goodbye and went back to her apartment.

When she got home, she dumped her purse on the coffee table in front of her sofa and hung her new dress in her bedroom closet.

Hailey was glad she'd spent some time with her friend. Meeting up was always fun with Aiseline, since she rarely pushed personal issues. It made for easy conversation; exactly what Hailey needed at the moment.

"_Staying together is the problem."_

Damn Arrow. Why wouldn't he just disappear from her mind as a abruptly as he did from her life?

Reminding herself that not the entire world revolved around her and there was someone who needed her support right now, Hailey picked up her phone and called Shane.

Yesterday, their father had left for Vancouver to pick up some personal belongings since his stay in New York was longer than he expected. He hadn't finished the case he was working on but didn't want to stay away from his sons for another extended period of time when Morgan was getting sicker.

Hailey swallowed. Everybody hoped Morgan would have gotten better in the past weeks, yet that hope proved to be in vain. The young boy had been in a coma-like state for almost a month now.

After a short conversation in which Hailey told Shane she'd swing by the hospital late in the afternoon, she forced herself to eat an apple. She looked at her piano as she sat on the edge of the sofa.

Sighing, she placed the half-eaten fruit on her coffee table and sat down on the small stool in front of her piano. She slid her fingers across the keys and looked at the sheet music on top of the dark brown surface. Closing her eyes, Hailey placed her hands on the keys and started playing a classical piece that was so fitting to her mood, shivers ran up her spine at the haunting melody. Hailey played it over and over again, pouring her pain in her music, losing herself in the echoes of sound.

When she finally stopped, she noticed it was already getting dark outside. "Shit!"

She shot up and arched her back, strained from sitting in the same position for almost two hours. Quickly grabbing her black trench coat, Hailey slid her feet in grey flats and ran out of her apartment to the garage in the basement of the building. She started her small purple city car and drove to the hospital.

When she finally reached Morgan's floor, Hailey saw she was thirty minutes later than she'd intended, and gently knocked on the door of Morgan's hospital room. When she heard nothing, she quietly opened the door.

"You know what I mean," the murmur of Shane's raw voice sounded through the space as a regulated beep and a hum acted as background noise. "There are a lot of guys who need a good guy to take care of them." A sigh. "I think you should ask him out. No excuses. He'll love to go to the dance with you."

Hailey opened the door a little further and slipped inside without interrupting.

"No, lil' bro, no excuses. He'll love it when you make the first move."

She smiled as she stepped closer.

"And he'll love flowers. Girls always do. Even if they're stupid like Hales and tell you they don't like Valentine's day or romantic gestures." Shane tipped up his head from his seated position next to Morgan's bed. "A couple of friends from school came to visit today. One of the guys seemed… interested."

Hailey shook her head and bent down to hug her friend. "Don't listen to Shane, Morgan." She looked at the teenage boy, his cheeks sunken and lips pale. She bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling. She still wasn't used to seeing Morgan this way; her heart shredding at the sight of the tubes in his arms and machines around the bed.

Clearing her throat, she said, "Girls and guys like men who're confident and funny. Determined but also thoughtful."

_Hmm… That's an apt description of someone you know._

Shutting up the unhelpful voice in her mind, she swallowed past the lump in her throat and ruffled Shane's perfectly styled hair. "That's why your brother doesn't get the girls. He's too in love with his jetcycles and overly confident in his seductive abilities, while he has _zero _game."

Shane grinned as he wrapped his arm around her hips. "Ouch. I hope your love interest doesn't have sharp claws like Hailey the cat-witch." He gave Hailey a lopsided smile. "The marks they leave you with sting."

Hailey snorted, all too familiar with Shane's encounter with a dominant leopard female who'd given him a run for his money. Unfortunately for Shane, the she-leopard had shot him a rueful smile and thanked him for the ride, then continued roaming around the world. There had been no hard feelings; for all Shane's easy smiles and flirting, he never truly gave his heart away.

_Smart man. Watch and learn, Hales…_

"Witch, I'll take. Cats, not so much," Hailey said.

_No, you don't like the cats, do you? You'd rather tangle with the lone wolf._

No. Not anymore.

Hailey exhaled quietly and looked at Shane when he got up from his chair.

"You mind sitting with him for a while?" He stretched in a very feline way, making Hailey shake her head. "I want to take a quick shower."

She cupped his cheek in an affectionate way that spoke of the deep friendship between them. "Of course. Go," she pushed at his shoulder and sat down in the chair next to Morgan's bed.

When Shane grabbed his bag and left the room, Hailey focused on Morgan as she took his hand. "Good God, sweetheart. You've gotten all of us so worried." She closed her eyes and leaned forward, talking to Morgan for a few minutes about the acting classes she'd given to the young Arrows without mentioning their status as Arrows.

When she entered the ShadowNet, she could still see Morgan's star, but it had dimmed so, _so _much from the bright, colorful light he usually radiated. Hailey mentally jumped on the connection with Morgan, and felt so little feedback it made her sniff.

_Please, darling. Tell us what's wrong. Show us. _

Tears streamed down her cheeks. _If you can hear us, let us know. _She wiped her other hand over his forehead, careful not to nudge the devices on his temples as she stroked Morgan's dark hair. _We know you're fighting in there. Your brother and father are fighting here, just like the medics. Hang in there, okay? _

"Aww Hales," Shane's voice hitched as he hugged her from his position behind her chair. His damp hair stuck to her temple, and Hailey wrapped her hands around his arms.

"I'm sorry," she whispered when Shane released her.

Shane went on his haunches next to her. "Don't be. I know you love him like a little brother. He loves you like a sister, too."

Hailey nodded and wiped away her tears with the back of her hands.

"Go home, Hales." Shane's eyes turned a dark, dark green, his serious, angry expression coming from deep within his core, the parts he rarely showed anyone. "I don't know what that bodyguard of yours did, but I'm going to break his pretty face for putting that look in your eyes. It's been weeks."

Hailey stiffened.

Arching his eyebrow, Shane nudged her shoulder. "We've known each other for over fourteen years." He shrugged. "I can tell."

Hailey smiled shakily and hugged her friend. "I didn't want to bother you with it. It's such a stupid thing considering your circumstances." She glanced at Morgan.

Shane shrugged again. "Maybe I'll feel better if I get to hit him."

Hailey stood up and ignored her clenching heart. "Too bad we'll never see him again."

Morgan's condition declined rapidly two days after the visit. Hailey had gone to the hospital in the morning, only to find grief in Shane's eyes.

Frustrated, she'd gone through her martial arts routine a couple of times during the day. It didn't help to find peace in her reeling thoughts, her mind going in circles. Sighing, she decided to go for a run and put on some leggings and an oversized hoodie.

She hadn't heard from Aubry after she'd told him she was back in the city a few days ago. He'd asked her if her the Arrow training regimen had helped. She'd told him she was done and completely in control.

A humorless laugh escaped Hailey's throat at that blatant lie while she quickly braided her hair. She'd tell Aubry when she was ready. Until then, she'd stay secluded to her apartment and continue her training schedule to gain control. It was the only thing she could focus on without feeling sorry for herself all the time.

Hailey hated that she'd been reduced to this desperate, wailing and wistful creature, and used the anger to amp herself up. She refused to turn into a bitter shadow of herself.

She'd adored James.

_Who are you kidding?_

She still adored him. And he'd warned her: he had no idea how to deal with this, with her. He'd tried. Just not as hard as she wished he had.

Gritting her teeth at that thought, Hailey tied her sneakers and stepped outside after putting the hood of her black sweatshirt over her head.

She stretched for a few minutes and started running, lightly boosting her strides with her Tk. The wind felt crisp against her cheeks as her feet stomped on the pavement. After turning onto a street that was less crowded, she used her ability to burst forward, running at high speed while concentrating on her strides and her surroundings in order to keep herself from falling or bumping into someone.

The air was turning a greenish hue as the sun went down. Lights in apartments and office buildings flicked on.

The events of the past weeks had numbed her so, Hailey hadn't been aware of running alone in the dark until she was several miles away from home. Coming to a sudden stop, she looked around the park where she'd ended up.

Tall trees cast dark shadows on the gravel path that curled around a small pond. Cars drove past the side of the small park, bathing several areas of the square in bright white light. There were no other people in the park, yet the quiet didn't feel soothing or calm. It felt eerie.

Hailey jerked when she heard a dog bark somewhere in the distance. Then she noticed a rustling sound to her right.

A shiver crept past her spine.

She closed her eyes briefly and focused on keeping her emotions in check.

_No. There were no trees and grass that night. Only a dark alley. _

Exhaling shakily, she turned around and started running back the way she came. Her feet pounded on the gravel as she used a moderate amount of Tk to accelerate her pace. Another car passed, and she saw a silhouette of a person several yards to her left. The person stirred.

Nightmares vivid and heart slamming in her chest, Hailey burst out her Tk and _ran. _She couldn't remember ever running so fast, her focus on getting away as quickly as possible. Her hood flipped back after two strides and the wind roared loud in her ears as it crashed against her face, the sensation almost painful. Tears stung in the corners of her eyes, caused by the speed and the air pressure, but Hailey ignored the biting sensation and kept on running.

She didn't care if she was being a coward for running away from a dubious situation. She was still half traumatized as a result of her previous bad experience and she didn't want to add another trauma to it. Grateful for James' lessons, she moved her body until her strides covered several yards at a time. Moments later she found herself in a busy market area a few blocks away from her house.

Hailey stopped running full tilt and let go of her focused Tk. Her movements slowed down until she stood still. The humming sounds of people talking and sellers shouting prices to customers filled the air. She jerked when someone walked into her, scowling at her for coming to such a sudden halt.

Moving to a less crowded corner of the street, Hailey lowered to her haunches and braced her elbows on her thighs as she rested her head in her hands. Her lungs burned from exertion and her heart thudded in an uncontrolled rhythm.

_Breathe, Hales. It probably was nothing. Someone walking their dog or taking a stroll._

Her breathing had regulated by the time several minutes passed and she hauled herself up. After taking a few moments to let her nerves calm down–as well as they would right now–she put her hands in the pockets of her shirt and started walking through the crowd.

A hand clasped around her arm and Hailey let out a startled gasp.

In a flash she stood with her back against a wall in an alley while a dark figure hovered over her, holding her by her shoulders. Fear spiking, she almost slammed out her Tk with her hands.

Then she recognized the azure eyes that looked down on her.

"You idiot!" she cried out while her heart couldn't decide whether to jerk in her chest or freeze at the sight of him. "I almost hurt you!"

That deep, dark voice she had _missed so much_ resonated through her entire being. "I would have been able to deflect your attack." His tone was curt, but the sound of him… It felt like balm to her wounded soul, nonetheless.

_No!_

Hailey pushed him away and James stepped back as his hands curled into fists.

"Really?" she exclaimed. "_Really?_"

She couldn't stop her voice from rising, all her emotions gushing out at the sight of him. Hailey couldn't play it distant and cool. She might be an expert at acting, but she wouldn't pretend to be anyone other than herself right now. "How well did that turn out for you the last time?" she spat out the words.

James' blue eyes sparked, and he clamped her arm as if to drag her along. "Your point is moot, since you didn't use your abilities."

Where he'd found the fucking audacity to use that arrogant tone with her, she couldn't imagine. Anger blazing, Hailey found she was unwilling to fight _with_ a man who wouldn't fight _for_ her. "Fuck you." She wrenched herself free and walked towards the other end of the alley, away from the buzzing sounds of the market.

And even though she was in the dark, in an alley for the first time since the night her abilities had snapped, she felt no fear.

_Instinctive safety at the sight of him. Go figure. _

The anticipation in her gut felt as if her body was betraying her. Angry with her bodily response, she let out a small, frustrated burst of Tk into the air and walked towards the street.

_Why is he here? What was he doing there in the alley? Why is he wearing civilian clothes? _The questions spun through her head, added to the rest of the chaotic skein that had circled her thoughts for weeks.

Her whirling mind immediately stopped working at the sound of that beautiful voice of his. "I'll walk you home."

An incredulous laugh escaped her throat. "You must be joking or stupid if you believe I'll remain in your proximity for even another second after what happened," she snapped as she kept on walking.

Within the blink of an eye James stood in front of her and reached out. Hailey stepped back as her weak heart thudded rapidly at the sight of him in the dim light. He was even more handsome in life than in her imagination; the gold waves of his hair were a little longer than the last time she'd seen him and his jaw was shaded with stubble. It took nothing away from his almost unearthly masculinity. If anything, the rough look made him even more attractive. But his looks had never been the reason why she'd gifted him all of her.

Hailey squared her shoulders. "Don't touch me," she hissed.

James stiffened at her rejection, his mouth a tight line and a muscle pulsing in his jaw. "_Hailey."_

"No," she whispered as she suppressed the shiver the near tactile caress of his voice incited. "You didn't want me after I laid my heart bare for you." Tears welled up in her eyes and her torn heart tightened painfully, curling up to a small but heavy ball inside her chest. "You left me."

She saw his muscles tighten, something shifting in those deep blue eyes. "I had my reasons."

"I'm sure you did. You just forgot to share them with me." Hailey walked past him and stomped to the end of the alley. She turned right, flipped up her hood and walked up the slight slope of the pavement, her breathing uneven. She was aware that James was following her, though he was as silent as a shadow. Even if she didn't want it to, his presence calmed her, her trust in his safekeeping stronger than her fear of being alone in the dark.

After fifteen agonizing minutes of walking, Hailey reached the door to her building. James stood next to her as she punched in the code and opened it. When he stepped inside the main hall, she shot him a look over her shoulder. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked sharply, arms folded in front of her chest.

James' hands curled into white-bracketed fists again. "I'm coming with you."

Hailey narrowed her eyes, not the least bit impressed by his stubbornness. "Why do you think I'd want you to?"

"Your wishes don't matter." James' tone was matter-of-fact.

Her jaw nearly dropped open. _Who the hell does he think he is?_

Hailey didn't consider herself a violent person, but she was very, _very_ close to hitting him. Maybe that would eliminate his delusions of her helplessness.

_Arrogant, presumptuous man!_

"Your safety is critical," James said.

Hailey raised her eyebrows as she walked into the elevator. James walked in as well and turned towards her. She punched in the number to her floor and folded her arms again, keeping her eyes straightforward. Oak moss and sandalwood drifted around her when the doors closed, the scent of him making her breath catch.

"Well doesn't that sound serious," was her acerbic response as she mentally slapped herself for involuntarily responding to him again, "but I can take care of myself just fine, thank you very much," her voice sugar sweet. She batted her eyelashes at him and gave him a smile that was all teeth. "So you can leave now," she snapped as she left the elevator when it reached her floor, and walked to the entrance of her apartment. She opened the door and stepped inside.

Turning around, Hailey dared to face James one more time. The force of his gaze combined with his presence made the hairs on her arm rise.

"Hailey, listen to me. The–"

"_No_." Her tone was sharp enough to cut through stone, even though she was shaking. Her legs felt like giving in as she crumpled, her anger not enough to keep her afloat in the sea of agony. "I…" A quiet sob escaped her throat. She shook her head and looked at his chest rather than his eyes. "You're breaking me," she whispered, and they were crushed, splintered words.

James jerked when one of her neighbors walked through the hallway and curiously glanced at them.

Hailey didn't hesitate and closed the door.


	26. Chapter 24

24

Her legs were barely able to carry her to the sofa where she slumped down. Exhaling shakily, she whispered to herself, "Get a grip, Hales." She lowered her hood, untied her hair and ran her hands through the dark mass when she heard a click.

Elite soldier and technician, of course he'd be able to break into her apartment. And of course he'd think it'd be alright to do so.

_Arrogant, arrogant man!_

Unable to face him again, she braced her elbows on her thighs and held her head in her hands, her eyes closed. A faint whisper of sound was the only indication he was there, besides the smell of his aftershave that wrapped around her like the safest, warmest of embraces.

_No!_

Big hands locked around her wrists and Hailey's head snapped up. James sat on one knee in front of the sofa and looked straight at her. She almost whimpered at the physical contact, need and pain intertwining so extremely, it felt as if her heart would burst apart.

"I had visions," James said, his face blank and his gaze hard as he kept holding onto her wrists. Hailey turned her head away and stared out of the window. She would _not_ be coaxed and seduced into acceptance, and James was intelligent enough use the physical attraction between them as his ace in the hole to get what he wanted from her. She refused to be used like that, even if he still made her heart flutter and skin flush.

"At first I thought someone wanted to eliminate me and gain access to the Squad. The reason why I left was because I believe you will be used to coerce me." His thumb caressed her pulse.

Hailey closed her eyes and listened to him, even though she was hurting and furious. This was what she'd wanted to know, what she needed to stop her reeling mind. Maybe then, she could _finally_ have some peace.

James continued. "The only option I saw was to distance myself from you to keep you out of harm's way."

"You had the vision when we were at the bar, didn't you?" her voice was hollow. When he inclined his head, Hailey's eyes flashed to his.

The lack of trust he put in her, the way he kept her in the dark about this, it felt like betrayal of their promise to be honest with each other. She knew it was irrational, but _he left_.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice sounded hoarse now, raw and twisted and jagged, like the scars across her heart.

"I had no choice."

Hailey pulled her wrists out of his hold and stood up. "Bullshit."

James lifted from the ground, towering over her. "You would have argued against it, and then I wouldn't have known if it could have worked." His tone was steel. "I had to try it to keep you out of danger." He thrust a hand through his hair. "I had to try."

Hailey tipped up her head and pushed at his chest. She only now realized no answer would be good enough. His answers didn't give her peace at all. Nothing he had to say could justify his departure. Knowing why didn't stop the anger.

It only made it worse.

"No, you didn't!" she shouted, the all-consuming pain and rage inside her pouring out. "You should have told me! You never should have left!" Tears ran over her cheeks in hot streams as she pushed at him again. "You led me to believe you were leaving because of our physical issues!" Another push. "That being with me was a problem you didn't want to fix!" The pushing turned into pounding, her fists coming down on his pectorals. "That you didn't want _me_ anymore!"

Grabbing her wrists again, James pulled her close. "Hailey, stop." He tugged her closer when she tried to pull away. "Stop fighting me."

Sobbing, Hailey rested her head against his chest, her hands clenching in his shirt as she inhaled his scent. James released her wrists and enclosed her in his arms. "It was never like that," he murmured against her ear. "I'll always want you."

The warmth of the embrace combined with his soft words made her cry even harder. She'd needed him _so badly _these past couple of weeks and he hadn't been there for her. She couldn't count the number of times she'd wished he'd been there to hold her like this, to comfort her.

"You were tortured." His deep voice made his chest vibrate.

Hailey shook her head. "No." She didn't want to hear his stupid excuses.

Leaning back and cupping her chin, James forced her to meet his gaze, his voice raw, stripped of its usual arrogance. "I saw it, Hailey. I saw your death." He looked away for a moment before returning his gaze to her, his jaw tight. "I _had _to try," he quietly repeated.

Hailey wiped away her tears while she tried to process everything he was saying. "What changed?"

Azure blue clouded over with shadows. "After I left, the vision altered. At first I thought you were safe. A foreshadowing the day after I left indicated my plan had worked."

Hailey frowned when she noticed his stark stance. "But it didn't, did it?" Her mind was still spinning. The numbing feeling of the past weeks was replaced by an overload of sensations at the sight, smell and feel of James. It was as if she'd lived in a bad dream and he'd woken her somehow.

_Still… it hadn't been a dream._

It was so tempting to stay in his embrace, so tempting to melt into the safety of his big, warm body and forget everything that had happened. But even though Hailey logically understood why James had left, why he'd made the choice to protect her, she couldn't mend her shredded heart so easily. She wished she could erase the hurt, the anger, the insecurity… but she couldn't.

Pushing herself out of his hold–the closeness of him confusing to her senses–she paced through the living area. After several minutes, an alarm bell went off in her head, breaking through the chaotic mess of emotions. She froze and snapped up her head. "They came for me tonight."

James inclined his head while he gauged her response.

Hailey ran her hands through her hair. "Jesus." She inhaled a shaky breath. "_Jesus,_" she repeated. "If I hadn't used my Tk?"

James' jaw was stone, his golden skin pulled tightly over the bones and tendons. "They would have caught you. I wasn't there in time."

Rubbing her face with her hands, Hailey pushed back her hair and looked at James again. "And who are these ominous 'they'?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "In my visions, multiple people are responsible for your death." His arms were crossed in front of his chest, his muscles bunched under the leather-synth jacket he was wearing.

A part of her wanted to embrace him, to comfort him, to borrow his strength. But another part coiled back at the mere thought of touching him again.

_It had hurt too much._

She continued pacing back and forth, then came to a halt again. "Why?" A ping in her head. "My draining abilities," she whispered.

Inhaling deeply, she battled the anxiety that tried to take her over. At first her abilities had ruined her life, and just when she thought she was picking up the pieces, things were taking a turn for the worst. She _hated_ this destructive power, wished she could somehow get rid of it. At least then her life would be normal again, instead of such a chaotic mess.

_But you wouldn't have met him either. _

Though, right now, Hailey couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing.

"That's the only reason I can think of," the object of her thoughts said quietly. Hailey shuddered, the skin of her nape prickling. Even though James wasn't holding her anymore, his mere presence was distracting her.

She leaned against the narrow wall between the big windows of her living room. "I need some time to let this sink in," she muttered. She tipped up her head and met James' gaze. "Alone."

James closed the distance between them, his hands fisted and his movements uncharacteristically stiff. "I'm not leaving you again." The tone of his voice made her arm hairs rise.

Stubborn irritation sparked in Hailey's response. "I was fine before you showed up. I don't need a bodyguard." No, she wouldn't be able to deal with him so close–she was already on the verge of throwing herself at him. Even though he hurt her and made choices she would've never made, she wasn't able to just be angry with him and leave it at that. Already she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, the compulsion towards him unmistakable, just as it had always been. A voice in her mind whispered that his stark features were hers to soften, that his rigid body was hers to ease.

She brutally smothered the whisper when James didn't respond to her previous statement. "What?"

"You weren't alone then either."

Dumbstruck, Hailey stared at him. "_What?_" She covered her face with her hands as embarrassment took over, a deep blush creeping up on her cheeks. "You had me _shadowed_?"

Hailey groaned internally. Because if the Arrows had kept an eye on her, it meant they'd undoubtedly noticed her grim mood. Instead of sulking in privacy, now the entire Squad probably knew how deep she'd sunk after James had left. And since she found out during her stay at the valley that the Arrows gossiped more than elderly at a nursing home, James probably knew about it as well.

_Wonderful. Just great._

James' tone was inexorable. "Of course."

_Damn it!_

"Did you really think I'd leave without keeping you safe?"

_There it is, that fucking arrogant tone again!_

Hailey threw her hands in the air. "Jesus, James! I don't know what to think anymore!" she exclaimed. "Three weeks ago, we were talking, _just talking._ And when I turned around, you were gone! You vanished!" She stepped close enough to stand toe-to-toe with him. "Now you've decided to come back and you expect me to do what_, _exactly? Smile meekly and kiss you in welcome?" She bared her teeth at him. "Do you think I'm _that_ desperate?"

Her body quivered with anger as her Tk lashed out and caused the furniture in the apartment to shudder. "You reject me, then you want me. You call me yours, then you tell me that being with me is a problem. You _leave me_, just to walk back into my life when _you _feel like it!" Hailey was aware she was shouting, but she couldn't help herself. Hurt, anger, confusion, need, betrayal, love… the emotions collided and poured out. "You keep vacillating, make a goddamn decision and stick with it!"

She wrapped her arms around her shaking body and saw the haunting shadows deepen in James' eyes. The furniture stopped shuddering as her heart beat painfully, the feeling heavy in her chest.

"Did you ever stop to think about how worried I was? How much I needed you to be here for me?" Vulnerability in her quiet voice. "How bad you hu–" she cut off her words before she'd start to cry all over again.

"Tell me," James demanded.

The thing was… he didn't have the right to demand anything from her.

Shaking her head, Hailey slipped past him, needing distance. "It doesn't matter," she said softly. "Not anymore." She paced towards the hallway and kicked out her running shoes. Sighing, she stared at the floor.

Christ, she really couldn't deal with this, with him.

Her head felt like a block of plascrete and body was tired. Even though she probably needed to eat something after using her powers so explosively, she doubted she'd be able to swallow a single bite of food past the lump that had taken permanent residence in her throat directly after James' return.

Hailey turned towards James, who was looking out of the window. "I need to sleep," she said. James' posture was straight as his eyes were focused on something outside, but to Hailey, it felt off. He was tense, on edge. She could tell by the way his skin was pulled taut over his cheekbones, by the stiffness in his shoulders. "You can sleep on the couch."

After fetching him a pillow and a blanket, Hailey showered and brushed her teeth. When she was finished, she didn't stop to look at her reflection.

_No need to make yourself feel worse than you already do._

She walked to the door that connected her bedroom to the living area. James was still standing in front of the window, his posture a familiar sight, his head held high, eyes watchful, hands clasped behind his back and his booted feet slightly spread. Hailey's aching heart jerked inside her chest.

James turned his head towards her.

Before she could second guess herself and turn into that desperate woman she resented, Hailey whispered good night and closed the door between them.


	27. Chapter 25

25

The following morning Hailey got out of bed early. After she was finished dressing, she took a deep breath and opened the door to the living area.

She frowned. Orange light fell through the large windows of the living room, bathing the space in a soft glow.

_But no James…_

Her eyes fell on the pillow and folded blanket on top of the sofa. They were still in the same place where she'd put them yesterday. It seemed James' night had been similar to hers.

After hours of tossing and turning, she'd just laid in bed, watching the rain outside of her bedroom window until light broke through the darkness. Now that she stopped to think about it, there was a good chance James had been the one that caused the change in weather.

"Hello?" she called out as she walked towards the kitchen. James was nowhere to be found. Sighing, she forced herself to grab a bite to eat and opened the fridge. Besides a bottle of wine and some pesto in a jar, it was empty.

_Crap._

She opened a couple of cabinets but found nothing remotely edible. When Hailey heard a rustling noise, she walked towards the living area.

James had just entered the room. Wearing his black leather-synth jacket, black jeans and combat boots, he looked beautiful and dangerous… but for the bags of groceries he held in his hands. The almost awkward way he was carrying them was so completely out of character, it made her heartbeat flutter. When she met his gaze, she immediately became aware of that lump in her throat, her stomach knotting tightly.

_Careful, Hales. You fell so fast for him and crashed so hard… Careful._

Unable to speak, Hailey held out her hands and James handed her the bags. Her movements stiff, Hailey took them to the kitchen and placed them on the countertop. She stared at the cream white cupboards until she found her voice again, her hands shaking while she systematically started to put away the groceries. "Thank you."

Having him close _hurt_, his vicinity as painful as his absence because she wasn't able to get what she needed from him. Though, she wasn't sure if she wanted to act on that need now. After all, it had only brought her heartache to the point where she'd been a broken shell for weeks.

When the bags were empty, Hailey took an apple out of the wooden fruit bowl and found she was unable to eat, her stomach flipping at the closeness of him. After sucking in a deep breath, she finally found the courage to turn around and face him.

James stood in the doorway of the kitchen, filling the frame with his tall, muscular body. He frowned as he took her in from head to toe. It reminded her of the first day they'd met. Only then his face hadn't been this expressive.

_And he hadn't been hers. _

Stomach tightening even more at that thought, Hailey stared at the apple as she fumbled the stem. James wasn't hers.

_Not anymore._

"I only requested the drop-off," James said.

Hailey nodded as she stared at her fingers, the stem torn from the apple. She put it on the countertop. When she noticed James closing the distance between them, her shoulders tensed as her head snapped up.

"Hailey, I–"

Hailey quickly interrupted him, his voice abrasive to her confused senses. She was unable to listen to his excuses, unable to stay strong as she felt her foundations shake under her feet at the bare sight of him. "What now?"

James paused, darkness in the azure of his eyes. "I've ordered a protective unit to secure the area around the clock."

She shook her head. "No," resolve in her voice. "I don't want to be guarded like I'm in witness protection."

Their eyes connected again, the impact of his gaze sending shivers down her spine. Lesser men would crumple at that stare, at the command in his voice. To Hailey, it only fueled her determination to counter him every possible way. He'd had the chance to contribute to her life and make decisions with her. He'd chosen to forfeit that right.

"I want to be alone."

"You know I'm not going to leave you with this threat," steel in his voice, his body on edge.

Hailey swallowed past the lump in her throat and put the apple on the countertop, crossing her arms in front of her chest to hide her shaking hands. "You're not my keeper. You don't get to decide over my life."

James' shoulders stiffened and Hailey saw a muscle ticking in his jaw, a sign of him losing his cool. "You're being stubborn and irrational." The words were a whip.

Anger uncurled inside of her. "Maybe I am," she admitted through gritted teeth, "but you're not listening." She defiantly stuck out her chin. "I want to be _alone_. Just like I have been for the past weeks."

When Hailey saw James' eyes narrow, she felt a sting in her heart. She knew she was being a bitch but she couldn't deal, couldn't bear being in the same room with him when her desire for him and her anger at him were battling for first place.

_What if he leaves again? What'll be left of me then?_

She had to protect her broken heart, or it would tear apart. The insecurity that thought incited also amped up her anger a little more, her hands curling into fists. "Fine. If you won't leave, then I will." Without waiting for his response, she walked to the opening of the door. James stepped forward and moved as if to reach out.

Hailey snapped, the plates and glasses ringing in the cupboards. Looking up, she saw his eyes gleam.

"Don't," her voice ice cold as her heart slammed in her chest.

When James stepped back, his hand dropped to the side of his body. Hailey made her way to the small hallway and put on canvas sneakers and a coat.

After grabbing her backpack, she opened the front door and dared to look back into the living area. Her torn heart thudded heavily in her chest when she saw James stand in the middle of the room, watching her, his silhouette surrounded by soft orange light.

She bit her lip to stop herself from walking towards him and closed the door behind herself with a quiet snick.

James violently slammed down his Tk. Only his Arrow discipline prevented him from breaking something to release the tension in his body. He paced through Hailey's small apartment, the sound of his boots on the wooden floor resonating through the space with every step.

He messed up. He ruined the beautiful thing between them with his drive to protect her. His fists tightened at the memory of the _look _she had given him when he'd tried to reach out, to touch her.

"_Don't."_

Hard and hurt, deep brown devoid of jade and gold. Hailey had never repudiated his touch, had always given him the liberty to hold her. Only now that he was deprived of it, he understood the privilege she had extended.

Intimate skin privileges, the changelings called it. His relationship with Hailey had consisted of even more than just physical intimacy, the deep emotional connection between them unlike anything he'd ever experienced. And now it was gone.

It had been agonizing to stay away from her the past weeks, to constantly miss her, but James had a goal in mind and was unwilling to jeopardize Hailey's safety for his selfish need. Eighteen days after the precognition when he'd sensed Hailey was safe, another vision had appeared in his dreams, showing him that some parts of the initial vision had altered, but the ending–Hailey's death–was the same. A day later, he'd _known_. His lack of interaction with her hadn't influenced the timeline sufficiently, which was why the logical move was for him to return to protect her.

Even though the protective detail he'd set on her had briefed him about Hailey's every move, he hadn't been able to stay away entirely, especially not after the visions of her death had kept coming. Every time he saw her run through the streets of the city, he'd wanted to go to her, to hold her. Every time he saw the dark circles under her eyes and the paleness of her skin, he'd wanted to comfort her, let her know he hadn't left her.

Yesterday morning, he had watched her walk out of the hospital after visiting her friend Shane. Skin pulled taut over her cheekbones and her eyes solid brown, it was as if the very life he wanted to keep safe was fading more and more every day. He'd decided it had been enough. Staying away was torturing him as much as it was hurting her. Therefore he set things in motion to return to her.

James had never experienced pain the way he had as he watched Hailey break in front of him the night he'd left. Everything he'd said hadn't been a lie; he'd made sure to select his words carefully. But her response had been brutal, to the point where he hadn't trusted himself to respond accordingly… and he'd left.

"_You've had me once, right? And now you're done? Tell me I was a decent fuck, nothing more!"_

He'd hated that she believed he'd only used her for her body, hated that she thought their connection was reduced to physical exchanges. Just thinking about her words caused his stomach to roil. Even if it was better for her, he hadn't been able to say the words that would have severed all ties between them. She'd demanded him to say it, but he hadn't been able to get the words past his lips and tell her he didn't want her.

Somehow, knowing he hadn't said those words had given him hope. And his relief had been immense when her eyes had sparked at him when he returned. Exasperation and fury intertwined, her hands fisted and her chin held high, jade and gold blazing in her eyes.

That relief had lasted only a brief moment. When she'd spoken, her voice raw and eyes lost, James had understood. Her pain, it was deep and profound–just like her love had been.

And the worst thing was that she'd been right. He'd always been the one to seize control over their relationship whenever he felt like the reins were slipping. It was an instinctive response to protect himself, to protect her. But Hailey _always_ called him out on his behavior, always challenged him, and even though it was infuriatingly frustrating she was still willing to counter him now. Her pain didn't weaken her but made her stronger as she used her negative emotions as a power source.

Never in his life had James met anyone with powers akin to Hailey's. The power to drain and utilize other people's abilities. The power to bring him to his knees.

_The power to strengthen her shields against you, as she should have done from the start._

James clenched his jaw and stared out of the window. He watched Hailey walk through the street just as she looked over her shoulder and up at the window. Their eyes connected and she froze for a second. Then she continued walking, mingling into the crowd.

A telepathic knock sounded in his mind from Aurelia, one of the Arrows responsible for Hailey's security. _Sir. Should I tail her?_

James thought about Hailey's request to be left alone and felt every cell in his body reject that option. _Yes. Report back when she reaches her destination. _James decided he'd watch over Hailey when she'd pause to stay somewhere.

_Yes, sir._

Now that he was back he couldn't let her go so easily. Even right this moment, he found it extremely difficult staying in her apartment, waiting. He replayed the conversation they'd had yesterday and heard her words echo inside his mind, just like they had all night.

"_Do you think I'm _that_ desperate?"_

Hailey didn't realize she wasn't the desperate one. He would crawl through fire if she demanded it from him. He'd do anything for her, anything for her forgiveness. And he deserved every last bit of her sharp anger, deserved to be crushed under her jagged pain.

Checking the apartment security while doing a mental exercise to pass time, James walked through the living area. He placed small sensors on the windows that would send an alarm to his timepiece if someone tried to break into her apartment. He also placed several tracking devices in Hailey's sneakers. The trackers were the size of a gain of rice–Hailey would never notice them, and he would be able to locate her if she was in need.

Walking over to her bedroom to place another sensor on the window frame, he turned around to take in the space. The bed was neatly made up with a soft pink duvet on top. Two guitars hung above the bed, the smooth surface of the instruments gleaming in the sunlight that shone through the window.

He traced the cast iron frame of the bed with his fingers. Memories of Hailey's naked body pressed against his appeared in front of his mind's eye.

_Stop. She can't even bear to speak to you, let alone touch you. _

He fisted his hands and continued the security sweep of her bedroom. A noise in the living area snapped James out of his thoughts and he sent out a telepathic scan. Frowning at the familiar psychic presence, he walked through the door to find Vasic standing in the center of the room, holding a duffel bag. James remembered he'd provided the Tk-V with an image lock of the inside of Hailey's apartment in case of an immediate threat.

"Since you're inside the building, I assumed I didn't have to leave it outside." Vasic handed him the duffel.

Arching his eyebrow, James lay the bag in front of the window, next to the piano. "Are you considering a new profession?" He turned towards his fellow Arrow. "Hailey once told me there are humans that perform for others, telling jokes. Apparently, it pays well if you're good."

A twitch in the corner of Vasic' mouth was the only indicator of his broken Silence. "How is she dealing with your return?"

James thrust his hand through his hair, his muscles taut. "Not well."

Vasic shoved his one hand in the pocket of his cargo pants and quietly observed him. James leaned against the wall next to the window. He'd told Vasic about the threat to Hailey's life and had been granted access to the Arrow's resources to guard her. Both Aden and Vasic understood the risk if someone was able to get their hands on Hailey and use her for her abilities. The mere thought made his muscles lock even tighter. James would do anything he could to stop his visions from happening.

"She's angry," Vasic guessed.

James shook his head. "'Angry' is understated." He gritted his jaw. "I hurt her."

"You knew that your departure would instigate this response from her."

"Yes." It had been a calculated move on his end, but now that he'd seen her pain, felt her emotions filling the room when she'd spoken, James knew his choices had been wrong. Hailey had trusted him and he'd broken that trust.

James looked up at Vasic. "I don't know how to make it right."

Vasic' winter grey eyes seemed to soften, understanding in his expression as he stepped closer and looked out of the window. "Ivy says you should talk to her." James shot Vasic a look. Vasic ignored him and continued. "She believes if you'll speak from the heart, Hailey will listen."

Staring at the wall covered with sheet music in dark frames placed decoratively around a mounted brass bookcase, James thought about that advice. He'd already tried explaining his motivations, his feelings to Hailey. He replayed their conversations in his head again.

When he realized what he'd done, James shut his eyes as he leaned his head back against the wall–resisting the urge to repeatedly smash his skull against the hard surface. Resentment for himself burned through every fiber of his body.

_You idiot._

His protective urges had led him to push himself into her space, into her life again. Everything he'd said and done so far had made Hailey's hackles rise, had made her defiant and angry all over at him.

_You know her better than to simply accept whatever you decide. You know she'll stand up for herself when she doesn't agree._

No wonder she'd remained distant and hurt. He'd given her nothing of what she needed and had acted on his own drives to keep her safe. If he kept going at this pace, he'd surely lose her.

_That is, if you haven't lost her already._

James wanted to hit himself for his stupidity but before he could act on the impulse, Aurelia's telepathic hail broke through his thoughts. _Sir, I'm sending through the location. _

A ping in his mental vault. He opened the message and confirmed the location. _Thank you. I'll be there shortly._

He looked up at Vasic. "Are you able to give me a lift?"

Vasic shot him a look.

"Not now," James answered, his face grim. "I'll need your help with that later."

Vasic remained silent when James sent him the visual lock of Aurelia's location. A moment later the air around them shimmered, and they appeared next to Aurelia.

Close to Hailey's height, Aurelia was a slender young woman with porcelain skin and freckles. Her straight, blond, shoulder-length hair was covered by a black cap of a local sports team. She removed her large sunglasses, revealing striking amber eyes. The genetic trait was bestowed upon her older brother as well, who also happened to be a member of the Squad.

James had mentored Aurelia only briefly when she'd been a teenager, hand-picked by Ming to join the Squad. She was an intelligent young woman, but James had instantly recognized the haunting shadows in her eyes. Aurelia, too, had her demons.

Aurelia inclined her head towards both of them. "Sir," she directed to James, "she's gone into the bookstore. There's no back exit. Tom has a visual on her."

James looked to the other end of the narrow street and saw a gleaming gold sign above the door of the small store.

_Thank you, Aurelia. You are dismissed. Get some rest. _

Aurelia inclined her head again and left, blending into the crowd. In the back of his mind James noted Aurelia didn't incite the same response he did. Humans and changelings didn't give her a second look, her ability to make herself invisible a valuable one; it made her extremely suitable for undercover operations.

James looked at Vasic, while noting several civilians glancing at the two of them. Perhaps one of them could pull off an undercover operation in human or changeling territory, but both of them standing together? Definitely not. Besides that, Vasic was too high profile since he'd been noticed by the media during the massive outbreaks of insanity in the Net.

Putting his thoughts aside, James focused on Vasic. "Send Ivy my thanks."

"Good luck," were Vasic' parting words as he teleported away.

James walked over to the bookstore. When he entered the building, he found it to be surprisingly large. A curved stairway led to a second floor where rows of book cabinets filled the space. There were narrow ladders connected to the cabinets in order to reach the highest shelves.

He inclined his head towards a male standing to the left of the entrance. Mid-fifties, wearing civilian clothes, Tom was an expert at undercover and stealth missions. James made another mental note to pair up Tom with Aurelia.

_Sir. Second aisle to the left._

_Thank you. You may return to your post._

_Yes, sir. _

James walked through the aisles on the ground floor and saw several pricy first editions. Hardcopy books were expensive. Most people used their organizers, datapads or mental vaults to store literature. Most Psy saw books as useless, since they were able to access almost all the information books contained in the Net.

Even though James was a technician, he understood books held more value than most Psy believed. Especially because Silence was broken, there was a lot of information unknown to most Psy; the former Council had blocked a substantial amount of literature on the Net. Information about emotions and relationships for starters–hence the reason for manuals on physical intimacy, which were currently distributed hand to hand. Though, given the current circumstances, it probably wouldn't take long for that information to appear on the PsyNet.

Walking towards the back of the store, James spotted Hailey sitting on her haunches, running her index finger over the embossed silver letters on the spine of a large book. She froze when he was a few feet away from her, as if she'd felt his presence. Rising to stand, a small blue book in her hand, her dark eyes suspiciously took him in.

When she would have opened her mouth, James spoke. "Please, listen to me," he pitched his voice soft and low for their conversation to remain private.

When he closed the distance between them, Hailey's shoulders stiffened, but she stood her ground and tipped up her chin. James' heart clenched at the thought of having lost her, having pushed her away too far this time. Her index finger tapped on the book and he felt a surge rush through his body at the memories of Hailey's impatience. Slamming down the violent emotions that would be most unhelpful in his attempt to reason with her, he shifted on his feet and clasped his wrist behind his back.

"I know I made the wrong decision," he started. "I'm pushing you because I want you, I _need_ you to be safe." He paused and searched for the right words. "You're the most important thing in my life. I can't let anyone hurt you."

When he noticed Hailey's lower lip tremble, James wrenched in all his urges to pull her into his embrace, his hand clenched tightly around his wrist. She remained quiet and observed him with big, brown eyes. "Let me protect you."

She kept looking at him, her eyes stormy with emotion. Long moments passed as his heart slammed rapidly inside his chest.

_Nervous. _

Yes, he was nervous of her response, an emotional sensation he couldn't ever remember having. He wasn't sure if he would be able to let her go if she requested it. Hailey was the one for him, but maybe now she'd decided it was done, that she'd hurt enough at the hands of him. And that was no one's fault but his own.

"Let me keep you safe," he tried again. If Hailey would truly reject him, it would destroy him. He'd always watch over her from the shadows, would always be there for her. But if she'd choose to live her life without him…

_Perhaps she can find someone more suitable. Someone worthy._

The thought of another man putting his hands on her, receiving her generous smiles and sweet affection made fury roar through his body.

_She's mine. _

James choked the vicious greed raging within. He loosened the hand on his wrist a fraction when his fingers started tingling, his tight grip cutting off the blood flow. He was no use to her if he'd unintentionally break his own wrist from lack of control.

Her voice was hoarse when she finally spoke, hurt resonating through every word. "I don't know if I can." Hailey looked away. "I'm scared. Not because of what you told me." She released a shaky breath. "That someone wants to torture and murder me is just insane, I can't even put my mind to think about it." Haunting eyes met his again. "I'm mostly scared you'll decide to leave again."

Relief was a crashing wave through his system. She still had feelings for him.He immediately reined in his urge to take her into his arms and show her those feelings were more than mutual. Just because she felt something did not mean she'd want him back.

James understood why Hailey was apprehensive. Being this close yet unable to comfort her was physically painful. After hearing her confession, James was convinced it was the same for her, but in her case it was fear holding her back from covering the distance between them. He'd broken her by his absence and she was scared of what would happen if he did it again. Logically he understood he couldn't force her into trusting him. Of course, she wouldn't take his word if he told her he _never_ intended to leave her again. He'd used words before, used them to suggest the opposite and push her away.

James decided to do what was best for her and not to act on what he needed. "If it's easier for you, I can arrange for someone else to maintain security." Even though it cost him extreme effort to say it, he would keep his word if it was her wish.

Her face paled, darkness covering the warm color of her eyes. "And then you'll leave again?" She shook her head before he could answer. "I don't know what I want. I've been wishing you back for weeks. Now that you are, I have no idea how to handle how it makes me feel." Her eyes skated away. "God, I _am_ desperate," her voice was a barely audible whisper.

"Stop." James felt his anger take over and reined in his Tk when several books started to shudder on the shelves. The way she chastised herself, seemed to hate her responses towards him, it was wrong. He'd been the one that made mistakes, not her. "You were right. I shouldn't have left."

He inhaled deeply, his heart working overtime. When Hailey jerked, James knew he wouldn't be able to keep himself from crowding her if he stayed near. "I'll give you space if that's what you need, but the protective detail has to stay."

Moments passed as she took in his words. He released the tight grip around his wrist for the second time.

The smallest of nods, her eyes skating away from his again. "Okay, they stay."

A razor-sharp stinging sensation appeared in his chest at her soft words, but he stopped himself from pushing any more. _You need to do what's good for her_, he reminded himself. She'd asked for space and he'd give it to her, even if the darkness within pushed him to reach out to her, to wrap his arms around her until she'd stop fighting him. James gave her a curt nod and turned to walk out of the bookstore while telepathically giving commands to the Arrows on duty.

"Wait."

James' heart skipped a beat at that warm, husky voice. Drawing in a deep breath, he turned around to face her. Hailey stepped a little closer, the dark smudges under her eyes evident even from a distance, contrasting with the paleness of her usually lush skin tone. James hated himself that moment, hated that he was the source of her pain. Once again, the shadows within had consumed and destroyed, and the look in Hailey's eyes was another reminder of the man he truly was.

"What if I want to reach you?" Hailey's soft whisper crushed him but her words also gave him hope. Her hand clenched tightly around the small book she was still holding, the fine bones of her fingers standing out against her taut skin.

"I'll be close."

James forced himself to go. When he walked to the register, he made sure to pay the cashier more than sufficiently for Hailey's purchase. He stepped outside the store and stood guard in a nearby alley, keeping her in his line of sight when she exited the bookstore. Hailey walked back home, glancing over her shoulder a couple of times.

James made sure she didn't spot him.

Once she stepped inside her apartment building, he moved to the rooftop of the shoe store across from her apartment.

There, he stood watch, and waited… and prepared for the chance that the only person who'd been strong enough to break his shields might never be his again.


	28. Chapter 26

26

Two days after his return everything was still quiet. James did as promised and kept his distance from Hailey. During his surveillance rounds he noticed she barely left her apartment. The only times she did was when she went to see Shane and Morgan, or a tall brunette he knew from her file to be her friend and co-worker.

James felt extremely on edge, unable to release the tension in his body because he hadn't been able to let his energy out with his regular training schedule. Though, he highly doubted if even the most intensive sparring session would suffice to change his current mind-set.

_James_, Zaira's telepathic call sounded in his head as he stood watch on the rooftop of a high office building near Hailey's apartment. _I need you to take over my shift for a while. There's been an incident at the valley._

James frowned while he scanned the streets below for suspect movements as a gust of wind swept against his face. _Do you need assistance with the incident?_

_No, _Zaira said, _I've got to speak with Tavish myself. I'm currently overseeing a play date with the RainFire leopards and I need a senior staff member here. Abbot can teleport you._

Even though James didn't want to leave the city, he decided to go. The distraction might take his mind off the situation with Hailey for a while and she was under high security; the team guarding her rotated constantly so at least two of the top-ten surveillance experts in the Squad were standing watch. He trusted them to keep her safe, even though they were at a disadvantage since they couldn't track Hailey through the PsyNet.

That had been the exact reason they'd lost sight of her the night she went for a run and the attackers came for her. James vividly recalled the fear of losing her after he had been telepathically alerted that Hailey was off the radar. The moment James had known Hailey was possibly in danger he immediately came to her rescue, only to find her heaving at the corner of a busy market square. She'd been spooked but safe, not thanks to him.

Needless to say, that incident had caused him to double the security detail on her, with extra teams trying to trace high risk Psy through this area of the Net. So far they'd questioned several Psy that seemed unstable but none fit the description of the attackers in his visions. The fact that James knew they were close only added to his irritation that Hailey wouldn't allow him to stay with her.

When Abbot dropped him off at the clearing where several Arrow children were playing with the leopards, the RainFire alpha greeted him. "Long time no see," Remi said, rays of the sun lighting the dark streaks of his brown hair.

Remi's clear topaz eyes were filled with a wildness James couldn't explain but was distinctive for the predator changelings he had met.

"I've been busy." James crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned to the playing children. When a small Arrow girl jumped from a tree to chase her leopard friend, he caught her with his Tk and gently lowered her to the ground. She smiled and waved at him before turning to climb the tree again.

Remi stepped closer, his movements fluid in a way different from a Tk, the prowling predator evident even in his human skin. No one would mistake this man to be anything other than feline.

When Remi stood next to James, he leaned lazily against the tree behind him, feet crossed and a small smile on his face. "So I've heard."

James glanced at the alpha. "You changelings can't help but interfere in each other's lives," he said as he turned his head towards the playing children again. "Since our contact has been more frequent, I see you've appropriated the right to intrude in the personal lives of the Arrows as well." James wondered who he'd have to threaten to keep their mouth shut in the future for discussing his personal matters with the leopards.

Remi huffed out a laugh. "You're in one hell of a mood," he grinned as he slapped James on the back. The amicable gesture made James' eyebrows rise. Grinning, the other man studied his face, and James noticed Remi's eyes were ringed with green, his leopard rising to the foreground. "Not so Silent anymore, I see."

James decided not to react to that statement. If it was obvious to Remi, there was no reason denying it. He telepathically reminded one of the children to be careful as the boy played tag with the other children. Luka was only seven, but already showed signs of a powerful Tk set. He naturally used his Tk in motion, so he could easily keep up with the leopard cubs when he sped up his movements.

The boy jerked at the telepathic contact and nodded at James; his brown eyes big. When James inclined his head, the boy continued to play, adapting the use of his telekinesis.

"When will we meet this lovely lady of yours?" the leopard alpha drawled, a smile still lingering on his lips.

Due to his elaborate contact with Hailey, James knew Remi was trying to needle him, play a natural way of interaction to changelings. "You won't." James idly hoped the topic would be closed with his curt response, but Remi didn't budge.

"She can't be that ugly."

When James shot Remi a death stare, the alpha grinned. "I'm just saying; she must be either a cat or an Arrow if she's able to rile you up this bad."

James released a breath and thrust his hand into his hair. "She's neither."

Remi's eyes glinted curiously as his eyebrows rose. "Human?"

"Why are you so interested in her?" James' thoughts skated to Hailey as he asked for an update from the security crew through the PsyNet. When he got the validation that all was clear, he directed his attention to Remi again, who was still curiously observing him.

"She's really done a number on you, hasn't she?"

James realized Remi wasn't letting him off the hook and decided he could use some advice from someone who was used to constantly dealing with emotions. To the leopards, pack meant everything. Since Hailey meant everything to James, he might benefit from some insight the alpha could provide.

He told Remi the story of how he'd mentored Hailey and how they became close–purposefully leaving out details about her background and abilities. Besides that, he skipped several parts where physical intimacy had been involved, since he assumed the alpha was able to fill in the blanks. After all, changelings were extremely tactile when intimate skin privileges were extended.

When James was done Remi whistled, the sound slow and low, his eyebrows raised. "You're an idiot. You've fucked up."

James set his jaw and kept his Tk on a tight leash. Losing control now would hardly be beneficial to the Arrows' relationship with RainFire. Not to mention the fact that it wasn't particularly desirable for the Arrow children to see his control balancing on such a razor-thin wire. "I know."

Remi looked up at him, the yellow-green eyes of his leopard staring at James. "No, I mean you_ really_ fucked up."

James arched his eyebrow at the other man. The fact that he'd gotten it wrong wasn't news to him. "Then explain to me how to solve it." It sounded like a growl, which made the corner of Remi's mouth twitch before he shook his head.

"Have you got a few hours?" Remi thrust his hand through the shaggy brown streaks of his hair. "Maybe it's a good thing she's not a cat. If she had been, she would have clawed you bloody."

James didn't tell the alpha the way Hailey currently was–or wasn't–communicating with him was worse than any physical pain he might endure.

When a ball rolled at their feet, Remi picked it up and returned it to a girl with a sunny smile wearing a pink sundress. He ruffled the dark hair of the girl after encouraging her to try and throw it to her friend.

"It's not an easy thing to fix," Remi now said. "You broke her trust, so you'll have to win it back." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the tree again.

"How?" Once again, James was at a complete loss. He'd tried giving Hailey space, which resulted in complete silence on her end. He had hoped she would've started talking to him again after she was used to the idea of him staying in the city, but she only seemed to isolate herself more than she'd already done the past months.

"Well," Remi frowned as his eyes followed the group of children playing tag, "you took her choice away when you left. You decided for her, which left her powerless." He shook his head when one of the children went as if to pounce on his friend, after which the boy pouted and walked away. "I get that you tried to protect her. Hell, protective might be every alpha's middle name, but the way you did it was… counterproductive."

James waited, aware that Remi wasn't finished speaking yet.

"As far as you've told me, she has every right to be upset. Her being angry, it's a normal response to the situation, even if everything you told me doesn't make her sound like a spiteful woman–she's forgiven you before."

"She has." More times than he deserved. That wouldn't stop him from asking her forgiveness once again. Somehow, Hailey understood him in ways no one ever had. He could only hope her understanding and tolerance hadn't reached their limit. "She also challenges me. Constantly."

And his instincts urged him to take up every gauntlet she threw at him, which was probably the reason why they often argued in the first place.

James watched the small group of Arrow children and shifted leopards chase each other as he remembered the multitude of challenges Hailey had presented. He felt something in his chest expand at the arguments they'd had in the past, the way she'd defiantly look at him with her unique eyes when she called him out on his behavior.

And she'd always looked beautiful when she'd done it.

_Remi's right. _

Hailey _had_ done a number on him, and James wanted her to keep doing it, over and over, even when it brought out the worst in him… because she was also _always_ able to bring out the best in him.

Remi shrugged. "The good ones always do." He stood up straight and tipped his head sideways. "Which means you have your work cut out for you." A feline grin. "You need to show her you're back to stay. Let her decide if she wants to take the leap of faith." His eyes a bright yellow green, he stared at James, the leopard in his voice. "And if she does, don't fuck it up again."


	29. Chapter 27

27

Blending, it changes in uncertain ways

Can you tell me how wrong it tastes?

My empty pallet, a sonnet unsung

The colors still linger on my tongue

What if I try?

What if it fails?

And I get dragged in deeper

What if I lose when I lay claim on you?

\- Lyrics written by Hailey Logan

Stuffing some clothes in a backpack, Hailey stood up from the bed to put on her bathing suit. She'd decided to go swimming in a lake outside of the city. Swimming always helped clear her head and reminded her of all the times when she'd gone to the sea or a lake with her mother. They'd raced against each other in endless circles, enjoying the freedom the water provided. When Hailey had been a little girl, Mina Logan had always let her win. When Hailey had grown older, her mother challenged her to push herself, to become independent and strong.

It was the unconditional acceptance and love that had boosted Hailey's confidence to pursue her dreams and wishes. While both her parents were sociologists, they never expected Hailey to fall into their footsteps. Admittedly, given her strong-willed nature, it would have been an impossible task anyway.

Her sweet father would still sometimes shake his head with sadness in his eyes, and Hailey knew how much he missed his mate when he looked at her. She knew, too, he would have passed together with her mother if Hailey hadn't been so young when Mina had been unable to battle the sickness invading her body.

Of course, Hailey had mourned the loss of her mother–who'd argue with her as often as she'd agree. But she knew her mother would have never allowed her to stay in mourning. So after the loss had eased a fraction, Hailey had decided to commemorate Mina the best she could; to live her life to the fullest and never forget the water that tied them together.

Hailey always loved the cool kiss of the waves against her skin and went swimming as often as she could. It had helped to calm her down these past weeks. Perhaps the water would hold some answers to her current situation as well.

She covered the swimsuit with a green tank top and zipped up a hooded shirt over it. After shimmying herself into one of her favorite well-worn black jeans, she brushed her hair, plaited it and stepped out of the bedroom.

When she entered the living room, she glimpsed a rectangular-shaped package lying on the coffee table. Her heart jerked in her chest.

It had been a week since James' return to the city. Arrows surrounded her apartment and kept a constant eye on her. Since she hadn't been out much, Hailey thought they were probably having a very boring time. Four times a day, at the oddest hours, one of them would knock on her door to check up on her. She always invited them in, but only a few accepted her invitation beyond a security sweep of her apartment.

The only positive thing about the entire situation was that Hailey kept her apartment spotless. The rest of her time she spent on listening and writing music, since it was the only thing that kept her mind off the situation with Morgan and her radio silence with James.

_Funny how you're suddenly able to use music as an outlet again, isn't it?_

Hailey smothered the voice in her mind as she thought about James. The first two days after their conversation in the bookstore had been quiet. He'd kept his word and had given her space. A couple of times she hadn't been able to resist the urge to check whether he was still near, so she'd asked the Arrows on duty where he was. The answer was always the same. He was on call twenty-four hours if she wanted to contact him. She always declined.

But the third day, something changed; one of the Arrows had given her a datacrystal and a small bag containing a tub of cookie dough ice cream. Hailey hadn't thought much of it and had opened the file on her organizer. Only when she'd glimpsed the content of the crystal, she'd frozen. It contained twenty-eight songs–one for every birthday she'd celebrated–each and every one a love song.

She'd nearly thrown the datacrystal out of the window in a wave of fury, but after counting to ten, then to forty, she'd decided against it and had stuffed the crystal in a drawer. She'd chucked the ice cream in her freezer and hadn't eaten a single bite of it in silent protest.

During the next surveillance check, she'd received a small package. After warily staring at it for nearly an hour, she'd opened it to find a pressed peony in deep magenta, the delicate petals framed in glass.

She'd threatened the next Arrow who had knocked on her door not to let them in anymore if they were bringing more stupid gifts, but she'd opened the door anyway because she felt bad if they were on the receiving end of her moody behavior.

Tom had stayed over for a cup of tea and Hailey had almost believed James' tenaciousness had reached its limit... until she'd found a small, blue square envelope lying in the windowsill, containing new strings for her guitar. _Sneaky Tom._

Admitting defeat, she'd decided she would let the Arrows check her place without hassling them about James' stupid attempts to coax her; she didn't _have _to open the gifts he sent. Only that proved next to impossible; her inquisitive nature had snarled at her by the time she'd left the fourth gift unopened for five hours.

Cursing James' name while tearing off the wrapper, Hailey had discovered two tickets for an action movie. It was a sequel to the one they'd watched together the night of their arrival in New York, after her visit to Morgan. She'd remembered the moment when she'd snapped at James to stop being extremely obnoxious–after he'd paused the movie for the fifteenth time to point out a combat move that was either impossible or poorly executed. Hailey had almost crumpled the tickets in her hand when she'd caught herself smiling at the memory.

Yesterday morning, Tom had returned–while ignoring her death stare–and had given her the fifth gift; a dream catcher in soft blue with violet and black feathers. Three hours after Tom's visit, another Arrow did another sweep and had brought another gift. A Damascus steel blade with a blue maple handle.

Hailey had almost cried when she'd finally realized James' gifts hadn't been random and pretty things she liked. That presumptuous, intelligent, infuriating man had selected every single gift with the utmost care.

The songs–to remember and dance to, the framed flower–to preserve the beauty of what they'd had, the strings–a way to enhance what threatened to snap, the tickets–a tribute to her training, the dream catcher–to continue making new dreams, and the blade–the sharp edges in her James liked.

The seventh gift had made her snort; a beautiful, luxurious, boysenberry-colored lace lingerie set that must have cost him a small fortune. Of course, the measurements were exactly right. Of course, the shade would complement her skin tone perfectly.

And even though to others it would seem like a sensual, sexual gift, Hailey knew the hidden message her Arrow was sending. For keeping his promise and replacing what he'd torn apart. For liking not only her edges, but also her curves.

She shook her head at the memory of the Arrows that had brought her the eighth gift.

"_For fuck's sake, if you guys are here, you have way more spare time than you let on." A scowl at Aden and Zaira, as she stepped aside to let them inside her apartment. Both Arrows accepted her offer of a cup of tea and sat down on the sofa. After preparing the drinks and placing two cups on the coffee table, Hailey installed herself in the windowsill, her hands folded around a large, blue mug. _

_Aden and Zaira shared eye contact for a moment before Zaira spoke. "How are you?"_

_Hailey slammed down her mug next to her, causing hot tea to gush over the edges. Uncaring of the mess, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Screw you guys. You don't have the right to ask me that question."_

_Zaira's eyes gleamed in a way that made Hailey's internal alarm bells ring, but she noticed Aden's hand brushing Zaira's thigh. _

_Hailey sighed deeply and rubbed her face with her hands. "I know I'm not one of you and I never will be. I get that, I really do." Her voice turned quiet. "But for the short time I was at the valley, for the first time in months I belonged somewhere. I didn't need to live in constant fear of losing control."_

_The practical reply was Zaira's. "You knew your stay at the valley was temporary."_

_Hailey scowled again. "That doesn't change the fact that I trusted you guys. The fact that he"–she couldn't get his name past her lips–"decided to act on his vision, I understand. But you all followed his lead! I thought not only he, but all of you had abandoned me like some stray dog."_

_A spark in Aden's dark eyes. "You now know that's not the case." He leaned forward to take his cup from the table._

"_Does that change anything? The damage is already done and some broken things can't be fixed."_

"_Of course they can," Zaira answered. _

_Hailey shook her head. "No. It's all really great that you guys are supporting him and trying to change my mind for him, but no. He can't buy me back with nice gifts."_

_Aden took a sip from his tea before he spoke. "You believe he asked us to come?"_

_Hailey shifted, stretched out her legs and crossed them at the ankles as she sat on the edge of the windowsill. She knew James as well as they did. He'd always try to deal with his problems by himself. Still… "I don't care. The answer is no."_

_Aden and Zaira remained quiet for long moments, long enough for Hailey to know they were telepathing each other. Giving them a narrow-eyed glance, she went to the kitchen to retrieve a dishcloth and cleared up the mess she'd made earlier before she sat down again. _

"_You know what happens if you truly reject him." Aden's words were quiet but potent, nonetheless. _

_Of course she was aware of what would happen if she'd choose to walk away. She'd break him, the beautiful, strong, but vulnerable man underneath the layers of stone and ice. And he'd turn into the thing he resented; the raging monster, the angry, pitiless soldier. Yet she also knew Aden and Zaira would never let that happen. It was why they were here._

_Impressed by their determination and glad with their ability to care, Hailey replied more even-temperedly now. "He has you guys, he'll be fine. You can't expect me to take him back out of pity or fear of what he'll do."_

"_No," Aden said, his expression intent, "I expect it because you love him." _

_Aden's words made Hailey freeze. Not because she didn't want to hear them, but because they were true. She'd loved James so much, she hadn't been able to breathe when she'd realized he was truly gone. She'd loved him so much, it had nearly destroyed her. And yes, there was love still, but also fear. Fear of losing herself even more, fear of shattering even further, fear that constricted and trapped, until love alone wasn't enough anymore. _

"_I'll ask Vasic to teleport you both to one of the cells in Central Command until you start talking to each other," Zaira said, her tone dead serious. "Both of you aren't functional and both of you are a risk." _

_Her pragmatic words took nothing away from what Hailey heard underneath Zaira's cool tone. If James was at risk, Aden and Zaira were at risk of losing one of their own. And it would be another strike, another scar on their battered souls. It would prove to the members of the Squad that some of them weren't capable of forming intimate connections, weren't worthy of the care and love someone could provide them with. It would prove to James he wasn't worthy, wasn't capable, wasn't human enough for it anymore. _

"_Goddamn it." She thrust her hands into her hair. "Goddamn it! You guys are as stubborn as he is." _

"We protect those who are ours," Aden had said, and Hailey then knew that the Arrows _did _consider her one of them, if not for herself, then as an extension of James.

Ten minutes later–and close to midnight–the Squad's leader and his commander-mate had left, but not before handing Hailey another package. She'd left it on the coffee table before attempting to sleep, yet she couldn't help stalking towards it now. After tearing off the royal blue gift-wrap, Hailey saw the eighth gift was a hardcopy book, a new version, since the original dated from the thirteenth century.

The Divine Comedy.

She ran her fingers over the embossed silver letters of the book cover, remembered telling James the story about poet Dante's voyage through hell, purgatory and heaven. She'd played the role of Beatrice–Dante's guide through the spheres of heaven–in a recital three years ago. Fingers trembling, she opened the book, to find a message written in black on the inside of the cover, the writing bold, confident.

_Without you, I'd still be stuck in the fifth circle of hell. Will you take me with you once more, Beatrice? _

The fifth circle, Hailey knew, was the circle of anger, where the wrathful and furious were condemned to fight each other throughout eternity. She rubbed her fist over her heart, the organ aching at the thought of James seeing himself that way. She'd disregarded it, even though he'd told her, many times.

"_Don't fool yourself by thinking I'm a good person. I'm not." _

"_I'm the worst monster of them all."_

"_So you see, the darkness, the violence, it's a part of me." _

"_You can't save me from this, Hailey."_

James hadn't broken his promise. He'd spoken the truth the night he'd left. He'd told her they shouldn't be together; only he'd left out the reason why. And it was that reason, the threat to her life, which had led him to believe he couldn't stay with her.

But she _had_ broken her promise to him, to fight for him… because she was afraid.

Swallowing, she ran her fingertips over James' message, wondering for the hundredth time to which changeling James had been speaking. Luring mates with gifts and food was a common way of courting for changelings. Often, members of the pack would assist, then sit back with popcorn and watch the show unfold–

_Wait. _

Hailey slumped down on the sofa and rested her head in her hand. _Those bloody Arrows! Those sly, tricky Arrows! _They'd fooled her with their cool behavior and icy demeanor, but they'd done the same for James as changelings would have done for their packmates.

A knock at the door broke through her thoughts, her guards ready to check up on her.

_You're a coward, _the annoying voice in her mind taunted as she walked to the front door._ Aden was right and you know it!_

Hailey recalled James' body language the day they'd spoken in the bookstore. He'd been tense, his words grit out and his control steel. Always, _always_ he was in complete control of the situation, and everything he'd done since the night he'd left indicated the same. Every measure he'd taken since then had been deliberate, thought out in detail and executed meticulously. Every gift he'd chosen was selected with care and with the intention of creating the maximum amount of impact.

And the eighth gift, oh yes, it hit home hard. A book she loved, a role she'd played… it stood symbol for him listening to her stories, having always heard her, understanding her.

And perhaps it was true. Perhaps he'd heard her sorrow and perhaps he understood her pain. James of all people knew what it was like to be left, to feel completely and utterly alone.

Hailey wondered if she could do it, if she was able to gather the strength to keep her promise. Aside from the obvious problems, a major hurdle was that her relationship with James had always been unbalanced. Even now, he was still holding tightly onto his precious control, and if he'd keep things from her he would continue being the one to hold onto the power of their relationship. She'd never throw all her cards on the table anymore out of self-preservation, not unless he was willing to do the same.

_What are you whining about?_ _He came back for you, didn't he? _

While that might be true, his return didn't automatically repair the thing that was broken between them.

_But keeping him away won't mend it either. At least…if you want it to be fixed. _Hailey jammed that thought in a dark corner of her mind as she opened the door.

Her breath caught when she saw it wasn't any random Arrow, but _her _Arrow in the doorway. Heart booming inside her chest, she stepped back. Her senses heightened at the sight of him, sparks jolting through her system.

"Come in," she said, her voice a whisper.

_Oh Jesus, Hales. It's not like you've never spoken to the man before! _

Swallowing, she turned and walked into the kitchen so she wouldn't have to make eye contact with James. It frustrated her that he could sweep her off her feet so easily, just by being who he was.

After placing a kettle filled with water on the heating unit, she asked, "Do you want some tea?" She tugged her braid over her shoulder and played her fingers through the ringlets below the hair tie while mentally laughing at herself. _God, you sound so stupid. Stop twisting and turning about and bite the damn bullet! _

The thuds of James' heavy boots closed the distance from the front door to the kitchen as she released a breath and reached for one of the cupboards.

"Yes."

Hailey nearly dropped a cup at the deep timbre. It felt like a welcome graze against her skin, and she couldn't imagine it ever being so oddly flat it had given her goose bumps. She closed her eyes to take in the power of his presence before speaking again. "Do you want milk and sugar in it?" Hailey grimaced and looked at her shaking hands. "Of course you don't. I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Perhaps I should try it." His whiskey-coated voice suddenly sounded very, _very _close. The hairs on the back of her neck rose when James' breath caressed her nape.

"Oh, okay." It came out a breathless whisper as she went motionless. James braced his hands on the countertop, trapping her between his body and the counter. Shivering, Hailey felt her nipples tighten and stomach clench. She stared at the cupboards and took in the sensation of his closeness; her need for his touch, for _him,_ a pulsing ache under her skin. The warmth of his chest seemed to brand her–which should have been impossible because he wasn't touching her.

_Yet. _

James' breath kept brushing over that same spot, her senses heightened by the closeness of him. He didn't say anything, he didn't move. He just stood there, waiting.

_Waiting for you, _Hailey realized after a while. In a way, he was using the same strategy she'd done when they were at the hospital parking lot. She looked down at James' hands and saw he was holding the granite countertop tight enough for it to be at risk of breaking.

The past four days, she'd had a lot of time to think about what she wanted. And somewhere in the back of her mind, she'd known. James hadn't left because he'd wanted to. He felt like he was forced to do it in order to keep her safe. How could she punish him for that?

She knew it had hurt him as well, had seen it in his various attempts to reach her. He wasn't a bad person for trying to protect her. It was a stupid ass move, but his intentions had been good. Even though he didn't see it, he _was_ good.

_Enough_, she said to herself.

They had both hurt enough, had both endured enough. She was unable to wound him for the sole purpose of giving back what she'd been through. He probably had punished himself more than once for that, had added onto the guilt that lay inside his tough walls.

_He deserves better._

God, it was hard, because she was _scared_. But she loved him, loved him until she couldn't breathe, until she couldn't think straight. And he was probably just as scared, just as nervous, even if he didn't show it on the outside.

_But the question is; are you going to let that fear rule your life?_

Fuck no. Fear had already taken too much from her. And clutching on to her fear right now would mean she'd lose James for real this time. He fucked up big time, but he was only human. He was allowed to make mistakes; she sure as hell wasn't perfect, and she didn't expect him to be perfect either.

Hailey carefully lifted her hands and placed them onto his. A shudder ran through his body and her heart clenched.

_He thought you were going to reject him again. _

She broke the contact and turned around. James stood up straight, but he was still close enough for Hailey to breathe in his intoxicating scent of oak moss and sandalwood. She tipped up her head to meet his gaze, azure smoldering with intensity when he locked eyes with her.

He gently cupped her face with his big hands, and she felt tears burn as she closed her eyes and leaned into his hold, placing one hand around his wrist.

"I'm sorry, Hailey," his deep voice quiet, shadows in his eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you."

The tears flowed freely now, warm streaks running from her cheeks to his hands. She placed her hands on his chest. "I know. I'm sorry, too."

Her hands clenched in his shirt when he placed his forehead against hers. Their breaths intermingled and Hailey felt tiny jolts of _life_ shoot through her body at the contact, her sheer need for him so vast, it was inexplicable. Then James spoke again, and his words broke through every defense she'd built against him the past weeks.

"I've missed you."

She couldn't help herself. Hailey jumped him, and he caught her, one arm around her waist and the other under her thigh. Hailey buried her face in James' neck, he nuzzled her hair.

A touch of James' Tk lifted her, so she could wrap her legs around his waist. James moved his hand from under her thigh to her nape, softly stroking the sensitive skin. She sighed and closed her eyes, inhaling his scent and basking in the strength of his body, her heart warming with belonging.

They stood like that for a long time. Hailey held onto James like he could disappear at any instant again and he embraced her, comforted her, _was there for her_.

Somehow they ended on her bed, facing each other as they kept touching one another.

Hailey brushed his hair off his forehead and ran her fingers through the blond waves, the strands gleaming gold in the rays of morning sunlight. James' hand was on her hip. A small frown appeared between his eyebrows when he stroked her side. "You've lost weight."

A wry smile on Hailey's lips. "Does that mean I've improved my weight to height ratio?"

Shadows covered James' eyes again, midnight Prussian taking over bright azure. "Why didn't you eat?"

Hailey scowled. "Because every time I did, I felt like throwing up."

James froze at her words. Hailey grabbed his hand from her hip and lifted it to her lips, pressing a kiss on the palm. She didn't want to blame him for leaving. She'd made her choice to forgive him and accept his mistakes, and she'd stick by it.

_There's no changing what happened, but you can choose how you react towards him now_, she thought to herself.

"Thank you for the gifts," she said in order to switch topics, hating the look in his eyes, the one that told her he was angry with himself. "The blade was a nice touch."

He ran the tips of his fingers over her cheek. "I wasn't sure you'd use it to cut up the lingerie, but it seems I've won the gamble." He shot a look at her closet, where the fancy paper bag hung on the doorknob.

Hailey raised an eyebrow "You're not a betting man." He was too practical for something like that, even if his calculating nature and his foresight would most likely mean he'd have a high chance of winning.

His index finger traced her lips. "It seems I'm becoming a lot of things, thanks to you."

She smirked at him. "Will compliant ever be added to that list?" He just gave her a look, which made her snort.

His brow furrowed when he looked down at her stomach, where the hem of her shirt had shoved up a little. "What are you wearing?"

"A bathing suit. I wanted to go for a swim." She moved to sit up. "Do you want to join me?"

James moved off the bed with that Tk gracefulness and held out his hand when he stood next to the bed. Taking it, Hailey pulled herself to stance.

She tipped up her head towards him and scrunched her nose. "I'm driving."

James was already regretting the second he'd given Hailey the code to the car. She manually drove them out of the city to a park that was accessible to humans but fell under the WaterSky Eagle Changeling domain.

Her driving skills were… interesting at best. He tightened the fist resting on his thigh when she turned on some music as she absently steered with one hand. She looked up at the traffic to swipe past some cars and returned her attention to the music again, and his fist tightened a fraction more.

_The amount her focus has improved is baffling if this was her starting point_. Though, he was forced to admit the thought was accompanied by a feeling he could only name as affection. The way music was Hailey's outlet was intriguing to him.

_Perhaps she'll be willing to teach you this as well. _

Finally, Hailey found a song she liked and started tapping her fingers to the beat on the steering wheel while speeding through the traffic.

James tried to ignore her driving as he studied her features. Warmth unfurled in his chest at her proximity, her light and life seeping into him again. He drew in a quiet, sharp breath when Hailey swiftly intercepted a car driving the exact speed limit.

"Stop looking annoyed," Hailey muttered with a scowl as she picked another song. "I thought you Arrows were used to a little danger."

James knew she was still going through a storm of emotions and he understood why. Yet, she hadn't rejected him when he'd reached out to her this time. James reminded himself to thank Remi when he'd see the RainFire alpha again.

The past three weeks he'd talked to others more than he'd ever remembered speaking, courtesy of Hailey's openness. Aden had taken away the last of the dissonance controls after their conversation. Vasic had shared some solutions to his Tk issues when he'd teleported James back to the city after the play date with RainFire.

"_I hope you both find happiness. Preferably with each other." _The Squad's second in command had shaken his head. "_Ivy would have killed me if I'd done what you did, even if you did it to protect Hailey." _

Needless to say, that conversation had only intensified James' apprehension of speaking to Hailey again.

Luckily for him, Hailey was still the open book she'd always been towards him. She was the same passionate, acerbic, intelligent woman he'd been fascinated by from the start. The only thing he had to do was open up towards her to regain her trust. Even though that sounded easy, a lifetime of Silence made it difficult for him to surrender himself to somebody else, to be vulnerable.

_If you want to spend your life with her you need to act and you need to do it fast. _He was an Arrow, elite, for a reason. They never diverted from their goal; they never gave up on their target.

James snapped out of his thoughts when the car came to a halt.

"We have to walk from here." Hailey's husky voice made the hairs on his arms stand up straight in response.

She got out of the car and grabbed her backpack from the backseat. After slinging it over her shoulder, they started walking towards a path through the forested area.

"I used to come here with my mom," she told him as she led him towards another narrow path. "She passed away when I was seventeen. My father moved back to Europe two years after her passing. He's British."

He knew that; her personal and background information were attached to the file Aden had given him. It only now occurred to him that one of the endearments she'd used for him was because of her father's heritage. Love, she'd called him, and every time she'd said it James had seen the emotion she'd used as endearment reflected in her eyes.

She avoided a tree branch, the movement causing her body to brush up against his. James resisted the urge to grab hold of her and listened.

"My mom met him when she was studying at Cambridge. They had an argument over a theory during a criminology class." An absent smile, her eyes staring unseeing in the distance. "They didn't know it then, but it turned out they both were Forgotten. The odds are one in a million–the Forgotten population is thin and spread out over the planet. My mother used to say she didn't believe in coincidence. She said it had been fate."

Given his F-abilities, James agreed. Things happened for a reason, even if sometimes that reason was as simple as a reaction to an action.

Hailey glanced up and gave him a tight smile. "My father came with her to New York after they both graduated. They'd been blessed with twenty-nine years together. Three months after my seventeenth birthday, my mom got diagnosed with such a vicious brain tumor. Even the most cutting-edge laser-radiation therapy couldn't save her." Hailey's voice was quiet. "Six weeks and a lot of tears later, my father and I flew to India to scatter her ashes in the Indian Ocean. It was her dying wish, to merge with the sea she always loved."

James reached out and took her hand, the need to comfort her too great to rein in the response. Hailey froze for a moment, her movements jerky before she laced her fingers through his.

James gritted his teeth but didn't comment on her response. He was angry with himself for causing her stiff reaction. At first he hadn't been able to give her what she needed because he hadn't been sure he'd be able to leash his telekinesis. Now her reaction was rooted in the pain he caused by his departure. Right then and there, he vowed to never hurt her again. He'd made a mistake by wanting to avert the threat to her, but he wouldn't shut her out anymore.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he said, not knowing how to respond otherwise to her story. He barely remembered his father, had only seen his mother twice. Unlike Hailey, he had little knowledge of how it was to be loved and accepted by others on such a deep level. The only one who'd ever shown him such affection was her.

Hailey shook her head. "No, it's better this way. She was in pain." She shrugged. "My dad never really recovered from her passing, so he likes to focus on his work. I try to visit him twice a year, but even though he loves me to bits, seeing me hurts him as well."

His eyebrows knitted together. "You look like her," James guessed, lacking the reference because there hadn't been a picture of Hailey's mother attached to her file.

A snort from the small woman next to him. "Not only that, our personalities are," a small wince, "were nearly identical. I have my father's darker skin tone but inherited my mother's sharp tongue. It reminds him too much of her. He will never fully heal from it, but it's okay." She smiled a little. "Though it's sad that she's gone and he's alone, there's beauty in the way she was and still is loved by him."

After walking in silence for several minutes, they reached a large lake. The hill where they stood offered a perfect view of the crystal-clear water, the surface glittering in the sun. Most of the lake was surrounded by trees and other greeneries, but there were several patches of grass in between the bushes, places where people could enjoy the sun.

Hailey dropped her backpack to the ground and started undressing. While doing a thorough telepathic scan–three Arrows were currently pulling into the parking spot Hailey had driven them to, with the orders to wait unless they received a telepathic hail from him,–James followed her lead, stripping until he wore only his boxer briefs.

Hailey stared at him, her blush a deep pink against the soft caramel of her skin and her full lips slightly parted.

James was fully aware she liked the way he looked. Hailey had called him beautiful many times before, had even suggested he was out of her league. It was completely incomprehensible to him why she'd believe that to be true. Although he'd been told during Arrow training that his physical appearance was pleasing towards humans and changelings, their response had always been the same as Hailey's had been at the start–though, her fearful response had lasted a mere two minutes before she'd gotten annoyed with him.

Aside from that, he didn't understand why she'd think she wasn't enough. She would always be more than he deserved, a gift so beautiful and rare he intended to cherish it for the rest of his life and kill everyone who'd try to take her from him.

He couldn't help running his eyes over her body, the indigo swimsuit skintight against her voluptuous curves, her long hair unraveled from the braid, framing her face, the dark strands glinting copper in the sun. She'd lost weight, but that would be easily fixed.

_The changelings like to feed each other, _an eager voice in his mind said. _Perhaps you can do the same with her. Naked._

Gritting his teeth, James tore away his eyes from her with considerable effort and used every part of his Arrow training to stop his body's response towards her. He couldn't, _wouldn't_, push Hailey into physical intimacy. Even though the attraction between them was evident, the physicality would mean nothing if she wasn't with him all the way.

"The area is clear," he said instead of all the other things he wanted to say.

Hailey nodded and stepped towards the edge of the hill. She jumped and gracefully dove into the water. Moments after she'd disappeared beneath the surface she came up for air, wiping her hair out of her face.

James boosted his jump with Tk and dove into the water as well. The liquid caused a biting sensation against his skin and he wondered why Hailey hadn't yelped at what was actually ice-cold water. Coming up, he swam over until they were only inches apart.

"Race you to the other end of the lake?" Hailey pointed towards a large willow on the other side of the water. James estimated it was a little over half a mile.

"Are we allowed to use our abilities?" He knew he was stronger and faster than her, but the fluid way Hailey moved in the water made it clear this was her area of expertise.

James rarely swam. Of course he'd learned to do so for training purposes, but he'd never considered swimming as a physical outlet or for play. And even though his telekinesis would usually make him faster, he couldn't help but find himself at a disadvantage. Apart from that, he didn't expect Hailey to throw a challenge at him she wasn't able to counter.

Hailey smiled, her eyes gleaming. "Yes, of course." She moved until she was shoulder to shoulder with him and gave him a sideway glance. "Ready?"

James inclined his head.

"Three… Two… One… Go!" Hailey's voice echoed around them as she set off.

James used his Tk to gain momentum, swimming as fast as he could. Doing a breaststroke, he speared through the water and reached the center of the lake in under a minute.

He looked back. Hailey wasn't anywhere in sight.

Alarmed, he did another telepathic scan and found her, her psychic touch as obvious and unique to him as her scent. But a part of her psychic presence in the scan seemed off. Something clicked in his mind and it dawned on him.

_You've never included her in your scan before._

Hailey often chastised him for being arrogant. It seemed she was right after all. He always thought the reason why her telekinetic and telepathic touch felt different from other Psy was due to the fact that she was one of the Forgotten. Only now he realized how wrong _and _right he'd been at the same time.

Already on the other side of the lake, Hailey blew him a kiss.

He felt his chest grow tight and moved towards her. The tightness in his chest expanded when he reached her. She was waiting for him with a smile around her lips, her head tilted a little to the side.

"I was under the impression we were able to use our _psychic _abilities," he said.

She nodded at him, eyes big, dark lashes batting rapidly. "Yes, you're right. We were allowed to use _all _of our abilities."

James wasn't fooled by her innocent look. "It seems I've disregarded the fact that Forgotten members have a mixed genetic background," he said as he inched closer.

Hailey's eyes sparkled with humor. "Have you really? How foolish, milord."

The tightness in his chest turned to an odd but pleasant spiking sensation all over his body. The edges of his mouth curled.

Hailey's pupils dilated, and for the first time since he'd returned, she smiled that pure, light filled smile at him. James wrenched back his need to take all of her and only extended his hand to cup her jaw.

"Yes," he murmured as he stroked her cheek with his thumb, "you've been keeping secrets."

Hailey's eyes widened a fraction more as she bit her lip. "Technically not," she retorted. "I've simply forgotten to tell you." That beautiful smile covered her lips again. "But I will tell you if you guess correctly."

He had no way of winning this game, but with Hailey, James found it not so bad to be on the losing side. "BlackSea is very secretive about its members."

"_Technically_," Hailey coughed as she tried to hide her laugh, "I don't have a full membership."

He didn't stand a chance against her. James found he was completely and utterly captivated by her, lost since the moment he met her, drowning in dark eyes with flecks of jade and gold.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her close against his body as he used his Tk to keep himself afloat in the water. The warmth of her skin seeped over his. And even though she'd lost a considerable amount of weight, she was still lusciously curved, though her body was a little more muscled than when he first met her. Either which way was fine with him, so long as he got to hold her.

"My best guess is still that you're a siren," he muttered a hairsbreadth from her lips, her breath warming his skin.

Hailey shivered and tunneled her fingers through his hair. "Alas, so close, but also so wrong," she whispered, her breasts pressing against his chest with each shallow inhale.

A sense of relief washed over him at the validation that she still responded to him as much as he did to her. James brushed his mouth over her lower lip. "I yield."

He felt her smile against his lips. "An Arrow giving up so easily? Impossible." She slanted her lips over his, and his heart threatened to explode. James rationally knew he had to take things slow, but his hunger for her was so vast that he grabbed hold of her hair and took over their kiss.

Hailey braced herself on his shoulders and made a soft, feminine noise when his tongue slid against hers. She pressed herself even more closely to him. James stroked his fingers past her spine and rested his hand on the curve of her buttocks. Hailey sighed, her fingernails digging in his skin as she laved her tongue against his.

With her as liquid fire in his arms, James decided to explore another intimacy again. _I've missed holding you._

She jerked a little at the telepathic contact, so he distracted her by biting down on her plump lower lip. Gasping, Hailey arched away until she could look into his eyes.

"You need to promise me," her breath was shallow, but the blush on her cheekbones had receded, her skin gleaming from the cold water. Trails of her dark hair stuck to her neck and shoulders, sliding over her skin when she moved.

"Promise me you won't leave without telling me." She swallowed. "You can try to shut me out as much as you like. You know I'll keep bantering and nagging you until you let me in anyway." Her voice turned quiet when she looked down. "But you can't ever leave me like that again."

James gripped her chin and took in those unique eyes that had darkened once more; the sparking flecks reduced to tiny pinpoints. Seeing sorrow take over the light of her felt like a punch to the solar plexus.

"Hailey," he said, forcing her to meet his gaze, "I promise." He stroked back a loose tendril of hair and held her nape. "Never again." He brushed his lips over hers. "I'll never forgive myself for hurting you," he spoke against her lips, "but if you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up with you."

She cupped his face and he lifted his head. "No. That's not how it's supposed to be." Jade jolted like electric currents in her irises. "We both went through hell and felt like shit for it. I forgive you for leaving, and you'll forgive me for keeping my distance."

His lips twitched at her steely tone. "Will I?"

"Of course," she said in unvarnished arrogance, but he caught the glimmer in her eyes. "I'm the most interesting woman you've ever met."

How he'd missed her. Though, it was true. Spending a century with her would never bore.

"No guilt, no scores to settle," Hailey added. "Only promises to keep."

And he'd keep his promises to her until his last breath, until his heart stopped beating. Because the twisted and scarred organ was hers, would only ever be hers. He inclined his head and stroked his knuckles past her cheek. "Alright."

Big eyes turned golden and her features softened. When James leaned in to kiss her again, he felt her fingers on his lips.

Hailey's mouth curved in a playful smile. "Only if you catch me."

In a flash she was gone. James felt sparks racing through his system at the challenge. _Your stubborn, wild and passionate siren is back. _

Using his Tk, he dove under water and watched Hailey's form disappear as something shimmered around her in the clear water. He chased her but she was too fast.

When James came up for air, he searched the water surface for her.

Nothing.

_You're cheating_, he accused as he swam towards the center of the lake. Laughter in his mind, the beautiful sound erasing the dark emptiness inside of him. James dove down and looked around, the water clear enough to see a couple of yards in the distance.

A shadow to his right.

He jerked and reached out, but Hailey was long gone before he was able to grab her. When he felt a touch against his shoulder blade, accompanied by a psychic 'kiss', he twisted, to find nothing.

Coming up for air again, he sent out a telepathic scan to the left of the lake. Only small to moderate life forms.

Sending out another scan, James covered the opposite side of the lake.

_There. _

Using his Tk, he lifted a bulk of water out of the lake into the air. Hailey floated in the center of the water blob, surprise written all over her face.

_I'm not the one cheating! _Her laughter cascaded in his mind once more.

Holding her up in the air, James swam closer and released the water. It slammed back down into the lake and he caught Hailey, her back against his chest as waves broke the clear surface of the water.

James ran his hand over his face, removing droplets from his eyelashes while using his telekinesis again to keep them in place.

"I win," he murmured against the shell of her ear. Hailey shivered and he leaned back a little, brushing her hair from her right shoulder and placing it over her left. Running his fingers over her bare neck, he carefully touched the gills on the side. They moved open and shut.

Wonder filled his heart as he gently stroked his fingertips over the delicate slits again.

_Definitely a Siren, _he said to her. _Beautiful and dangerous. _

When Hailey turned around she smiled shyly, a pink blush covering her cheeks. "The Arrow and the Siren," she whispered, "wouldn't that make for a great story?"

He kissed her, claiming his prize with the intense hunger that lived inside him. Hailey grabbed hold of his shoulders.

James' head snapped up at the odd feeling of her hands on his body. Nudging her arm, he held it up and studied the limb. His amazement of her grew by the minute.

"I've seen this before," he said as he stroked his thumb over the webbed surface between her fingers, the delicate film two shades lighter than her skin, glistening pearlescent silver-white when he brought her hand up to observe it. Hailey fisted her hand and showed the outer part of her forearm. A dark, narrow fin was linked to her skin, connecting from her wrist to her elbow.

"Look," she said, and she fanned it out a little, revealing the transparent blue and grey colors of it. She turned her arm a fraction, showing a hidden purple shimmer in the rays of the sun.

He ran his fingers over the exceptional addition to her arm. "How?" he asked as he touched the surface again.

She scrunched up her nose. "My maternal great-grandfather was a blue marlin changeling. He mated a cardinal telekinetic around the Dawn of Silence–she was a marine biologist. They met when she was working at a station in the Indian Ocean." She smiled when his fingers ran up and down her arm again.

He was fascinated by the feel of her, and reminded himself once again how unique, how rare a woman like her was. Not just for being part changeling, but for being Hailey.

"My grandmother and mother were able to shift fully. This," she gestured at her arm, "is more of a semi-shift; I'm only one-eighth part changeling. I don't know how it works for others," a small crease between her eyebrows, "I've never met anyone with such a small percentage of changeling blood, but there must be more people like me."

Curious, James lifted her, one arm underneath her thighs and the other behind her back. She raised her leg in the air to show him another dark fin, this one connected to the side of her calf, running from her knee to her ankle. Her toes were webbed, just like her hands.

"This is the full extent of your shift?" he asked while he used his Tk to support her legs as he ran his fingers up her leg, stroking the part where the fin was connected to her calf.

"Yeah. I'm happy to inform you my nose doesn't turn into a two-foot-long spear," she grinned, "but I'll always beat you in water. Marlins are one of the fastest swimmers in the sea. Being part water-changeling also seems to be the reason why my Tk is stronger in water."

Hailey's hand clenched in his hair and her breath turned choppy when he stroked his hand up her thigh, caressing the silky skin on the inside of her leg.

"Absolutely singular," he said before covering her luscious mouth. She parted her lips for him, the silent invitation unchaining his built-up need for her.

James changed his hold and Hailey followed his lead seamlessly, wrapping her legs around his waist and embracing him as he continued to kiss her. When he ran his teeth over her lower lip she shuddered, her nipples furled to small beads pressing against his chest. She kissed up his jaw and bit at his earlobe.

Shimmers appeared around her and the next instant, she was fully human again.

Fascinated by her, James grabbed hold of her hair. The thick, wet mass curled around his fingers and met the molten gold of her eyes.

_Yes? _he asked, his breath coming in rapid pants. He needed to be sure, needed to know for certain if her decision to act on the physical pull between them was a conscious choice.

"I now remember saying that I wouldn't touch you unless you asked me." Liquid gold switched to luminous jade as he watched her expression turn from solemn to playful, a wide grin creasing her cheeks. "But I'm not sure you'll be able to handle everything I'll give you anyway," she teased him as she shrugged. "It would be a shame if you prematurely misfired your ammo."

No question about it. She was with him all the way.

He flexed his hand in her hair, which got him a small gasp, her eyelids fluttering shut for a moment and her lower body undulating against his hips.

He brought his lips to her ear. "Always eager to taunt, Miss Logan. Say that again when I'm buried all the way inside of you," he dared her. Even though she might be right–his control non-existent when it came to her–he intended to play this game till the very end; an ending where she'd be sated and limp, sighing from pleasure. "Give me your best shot."

When Hailey kissed his neck and sucked on his pulse, he felt the sparks jolt through his body, his erection twitching at the pleasure of her touch. He let out a burst of Tk into the water and silently thanked Vasic for the pointer.

"That would mean, for starters, I'd have to put my mouth on you," she said as she scratched her nails over his back and kissed his chest, "and lick and suck and nip until you have trouble breathing." The words were a husky whisper and made his stomach tighten as he kissed her, hot and hard.

Arching his head back when she dug her nails harder in his skin, James found he had no more patience. "Nip?" he rasped out.

He did a wide scan of the lake area only to find several small animals in the vicinity. He didn't hesitate a single moment and tore down the straps of her bathing suit. After she'd slid out her arms, James pulled down the tight, wet material to her waist. Hailey let out a laughing gasp at the speed he was undressing her but kept on holding him as he met her eyes. Gold and glowing, with a blush on her cheeks and her lips kiss-swollen, she was as alluring to him as the mythical creatures he liked to compare her with.

Hailey held his gaze and licked her lips. "Yes. Nip." Her breathy voice enticing. "And you can bite me in return as well," she took his free hand and moved it towards the juncture of her thighs, her skin turning deep pink and her eyes hazy with desire. "Even there."

Every cell in James' brain short-circuited and he unleashed his Tk into the water again. Bending down, he kissed and sucked the luscious slopes of her breasts as he briefly cupped her before moving his hand to her waist.

_My beautiful Siren_, he sent to her as he continued tasting her, running his teeth over her nipple and gently pulling the tight bud. After releasing it, he flicked his tongue over the sensitized nub. _I'll enjoy nipping and biting you, I think. _

Hailey whimpered and pressed her lower body against his turgid length, the sultry motion causing a wave of heat to crash through his body. "Do that again," she ordered with a husky voice, her eyes closed.

If he hadn't been rock-hard already, the mere sound of her voice would have done the trick. James repeated the caress on her other breast while plucking her kiss-wet nipple between his fingers, rubbing small circles over the top. A deep moan escaped her throat and James pressed himself against the heat between her legs, his pounding erection strained in his boxers.

Kissing his collarbone, Hailey slid her hands between them, down to the waistband of his underwear. A moment later, his boxer briefs were gone by the use of her Tk.

He felt the corners of his mouth twitch. "Was that payback for ripping your bra?"

"Absolutely," her voice a breathless whisper when she stroked her hand through his curls and down. James' hand clenched in her hair.

Hailey stroked her hand around the side of his pulsing penis befo–

His nerve endings exploded and he growled when she softly massaged his testicles. Right now, his Tk wasn't coming in burst, but it was more like a constant hum, amplifying every time Hailey did something that made his body respond violently.

He took her wrist in a tight grip and released himself out of her hold when she fisted him, before she'd make him come then and there, and would win their small duel. James drank in the smile on her lips, tasted the luminous life that was Hailey.

Lifting her with one hand and the use of his Tk, Hailey let out a small yelp when he pulled down her bathing suit, the material bunching halfway down her thighs. When James lowered her, Hailey reached down and removed the garment. She hooked her legs around his waist again and looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes. James did another telepathic scan before pushing himself against her. The blunt tip of his penis stroked her wet, hot core.

Hailey's blush was deep. "I can't believe we're having sex here," she murmured as she moved against him, causing his erection to throb. "I've never done anything like this before."

James put one hand around her nape and the other on her hip. "Me neither," he said through clenched teeth.

The sound Hailey made was somewhere between a laugh and a moan when James pushed himself deeper inside the soft, slick tightness of her. Every muscle in his body was taut as he paused to let her get used to the thick invasion of him while attempting to temper his arousal.

Hailey's head arched back as her nails dug into his shoulders. _I've missed you, too, _her warm voice in his mind.

He shuddered at her words, at the feeling of her body wrapped around him, owning him.

James pulled back a little and slammed into her, using his Tk to steady them in the water. Hailey whimpered softly, the sound of her pleasure enough to put him on edge. Her internal muscles clenched when he squeezed her bottom as he brushed his fingers over the place of their intimate connection, slickness coating his fingertips.

_You're mine. _James kissed her, bit her, branded her. Hailey cried out when he slammed into her again and again, unable to stop himself. Head spinning and pulse racing at the pleasure, he reminded himself to pleasure her as well, using his Tk to stroke her clitoris while he bent down to suck on her nipple.

"_James!"_ He felt Hailey convulse around him, and when he looked up, her eyes glowed in ecstasy. He retracted and entered one last time before falling into oblivion.

Ten minutes later, a pleasure sated Hailey was lying next to James in the soft grass. Bathing in the afternoon sun, Hailey admired James' gorgeous body. His skin gleamed gold, his muscles emphasized by the light and shadows.

_Beautiful man._

She ran her fingers up and down his chest as he lazily lay down with one arm folded under his head and the other underneath her waist, possessively cupping her buttocks.

Her soul felt light again at the sight of him, here, with her. It would take some time for the trust he'd broken to repair. But he was here, he'd come back for her. _And he's brought a whole new bag of tricks with him, _she thought to herself smugly, her body limp from being deliciously taken by him. She shuddered a little.

"It's a good thing you're so charming and handsome," Hailey teased. "Otherwise I might have let you stand in front of a closed door and we wouldn't have been here."

His eyes remained closed as he countered her taunt. "I thought you found me to be arrogant and presumptuous?" He squeezed the soft flesh of her butt. "I was unaware you've had a change of heart."

She smiled and brushed his damp hair off his forehead. "Didn't you call it determined and confident?" She kissed the line of his breastbone. "I like determined and confident men." She hesitated for a moment and blushed deeply as she telepathically added, _Especially if they make me come the way you do._

Hand jerking on her butt, his eyes opened, azure blue blazing. "Are teachers allowed to speak in such a manner?"

"Hush." Cheeks warm, she straddled him and leaned forward to kiss him, softly brushing her lips against his. "Admit it," she said with a smile on her lips, a sense of belonging warming her from the inside at his closeness. "You like it when I talk dirty."

"I was told," James said as he gently rolled over, Hailey underneath him now, "that it was important to talk to women during sex." He flicked his tongue over her nipple, making her gasp. "But I do find it," a small bite, "highly erotic," a kiss on her neglected breast, "when you return the favor."

He molded her breast as he kissed a path over her stomach. "Your skin is so soft, I want to taste you everywhere," he flicked his tongue over her navel. "I want to kiss you and lick you until you come." He tipped up his head to meet her gaze. "And then start over again," he murmured before he softly bit her hipbone.

Whimpering, Hailey felt herself grow damp all over again at that low roughness in his voice, promising to make parts deep in her body ache with pleasure. His words made her body feel afire, her skin begging for his touch.

James settled himself between her thighs and pulled her legs over his shoulders. Without warning, he licked through her folds, sucked on the delicate flesh. Sobbing, Hailey fisted her hands in his hair.

_Tell me, Hailey. _His telepathic voice dark with lust, Hailey felt herself grow even wetter at the sound of him combined with the exquisite things his tongue did to her. _Tell me what you want._

Hailey cried out and arched into his intimate kiss when he sucked on her clitoris. _I love it when you put your mouth on me. _

He sucked again. She gasped and jerked, her body molten against his tongue.

_What do you want? _He softly ran his teeth over her slick folds.

Hailey felt a deep blush cover her face. _Use your fingers, _her telepathic voice a whisper.

She'd never had a lover that was so demanding, so straight forward about it. She couldn't remember ever being so forward about it herself… It was like all her hesitancy disappeared when he was intimate with her. But now he was lying between her legs, pleasuring her in ways she absolutely _loved_, yet she had difficulty letting go.

He flicked his tongue over the bundle of nerves, making her jerk. _I can't hear you._

Feeling like rolling her eyes at him but unable to do so since he was pleasantly torturing her, Hailey said, _I want you to use your fingers_, her voice clearer now.

She sucked in a breath when his fingers circled the skin of her entrance. He gently pushed them in a little. Hailey's entire body was taut in anticipation of his caresses. All of a sudden James froze and lifted his head.

Their gazes locked; his eyes black as onyx.

"What?"Hailey asked with a slight amount of panic in her voice. James had told her he'd been doing regular telepathic scans to make sure she was safe. Maybe he'd done another scan and had found people coming closer. Her muscles tightened at that thought.

She never saw his response coming.

_You forgot to say please, _he said as he continued circling her entrance and dipping in his fingers a _tiny_ bit before pulling them back.

Hailey groaned, restlessly moving her hips against his hand as he was driving her completely crazy. _Are you kidding me?!_

He bit the inside of her thigh.

Hailey gasped and pulled at his hair. "Please," her voice a rasp.

James pushed in his fingers a fraction more before receding them, their eyes still locked, the intimacy of it causing Hailey to whimper.

He kissed the inside of her thigh as he repeated the caress. "Please, what?"

Hailey felt like laughing and hitting him at the same time. He was playing with her.In awe of this gorgeous, excruciating man, she gave him what he wanted. "Please, James… use your fingers on me."

A moan escaped her throat as he pumped in his fingers, the slickness of her causing a sobbing sound that only amplified her arousal. When he flicked his tongue over her clitoris again, she was almost on the edge of an orgasm.

James stopped again.

Letting out a frustrated growl, Hailey tipped up her head again. "What? What is it this time?"

He smiled at her.

He actually, fully smiled. And the heat of his endless midnight eyes made it somewhat wicked, dangerous.

_Say it again. _He rubbed his stubbled jaw against the inside of her thigh as he inhaled deeply, the scent of her musk creating blue jolts in the blackness of his gaze. Hailey panted at the raw sensation combined with his next words.

_There is nothing more arousing than watching your responses after your requests, Miss Logan. Your voice makes me want to pleasure you over and over._

She had no barriers, no resistance whatsoever to him when he opened up like this. Still a little flustered, she whispered, "Please James, make me come." The deep blush returned to her cheeks. "Please use your mouth and fingers on me."

A determined glint in his eyes, he plunged in his fingers again, the fast rhythm making Hailey's nerve endings explode.

_Ask me one more time._

Her frustration took over, her body overly sensitized and on edge, she shouted, "Damn it, James!" A sob as he licked her. "Please, _please_ make me come!"

His rock-hard erection slid into her, and it took her so much off guard that she screamed out at the delicious thickness of him. She arched up her hips to meet his and moaned at the intensity of him. James braced one arm beside her head while cupping her face with the other. Hailey wrapped her arms around his neck, locked her legs around his thighs and pulled him close to kiss him deeply as he kept moving inside her.

Their eyes locked, their foreheads touched, their intimacy shutting out everything around them.

_You're mine, Hailey. _James flexed his hips, filling her with the same possession that resonated in his voice. Each motion he made added to the pleasure inside her, as it expanded and spilled out, her orgasm tearing through her body. Moments later his body locked and she felt him pulsating inside of her, the feeling exquisitely abrasive against her pleasure-swollen tissues.

"Yes, love," she whispered when he arched up his head, his cheekbones flushed and the black in his gaze fading to blue. "I'm yours and you are mine."

He smiled at her again, and Hailey knew she was completely lost. Lost to a man who would destroy her if he ever chose to break his promises.


	30. Chapter 28

28

"Tell me what you saw in your vision," Hailey said after she'd put on some music, the cheery tones humming softly through her apartment.

After the amazing sex they'd gotten dressed and went back to the car. She'd decided to let James drive, since he'd been so tense when she'd driven them to the park. And even though she really didn't want James to go all vigilant bodyguard annex soldier on her, she'd let him check her apartment before they'd entered.

The entire idea of her death was so strange, she found she could compartmentalize it quite easily. It didn't scare her as much as it probably should.

_Then again, you have the opportunity to change the outcome._

Determined to do exactly that, she turned around from the music installation and watched her Arrow. James was lying sprawled on the sofa, his posture more relaxed than she'd ever witnessed it, but his jaw tightened at her question. Hailey sat down on the coffee table and braced her elbows on her thighs.

"Stop trying to protect me," she chastised him. "It didn't work out well the last time you tried." Her heart clenched at the memories of her numbness but she wasn't going to avoid what happened. She wouldn't hold it against him, still, it wasn't something they could ignore either.

A small frown appeared on his handsome face, shadows in his azure eyes. "I already told you."

Hailey reached out and touched his cheek, the stubble slightly stinging her fingertips. "You need to tell me every detail you can remember. It's the only way we can try to do something about it," she caressed him again, soothing the storm inside him.

It felt _so good_ to be able to touch him again, and she knew it was the changeling part of her heart that craved the contact, even though a whisper of hesitancy slithered through her. Standing by her choices didn't mean she wasn't scared.

On the other hand, she'd always been a sucker where James was involved, and her need for him trumped her apprehension. Their connection had always been intense and his absence hadn't changed that, so Hailey gave in to her desire and stroked her fingers through his hair.

James sat up straight and faced her, his movements beautifully fluid. "Visions aren't set in stone; the future is subject to change. My lower gradient makes for a lesser accuracy level of the glimpses I catch."

Hailey shook her head. "You've told me they all had the same outcome." She straddled his lap, her hands resting on his wide shoulders. "I don't know about you, but I'm not finished with corrupting you just yet." She kissed him, soft and coaxing. _Tell me._

He stared at her. She stared back. His eyes narrowed the tiniest fraction before he spoke. "The one thing all the visions have in common is that you are ambushed. You start fighting and you're able to fend off two attackers." His hands clenched on her hips.

"Go on," Hailey whispered as she ran her fingers through his hair. _I need to know._

Azure blue darker than she'd ever seen it, he continued. "After you incapacitate them, a third attacker takes you down. You fall. The vision is unclear about the next part, which indicates certain decisions aren't made yet."

Hailey gripped his hair, demanding his attention. "How do they do it?"

James' lips were bracketed with white lines, the tendons of his neck standing out stark. "You're taken to a different location and they either telepathically or telekinetically hold you down. They hit you first, ask you questions. You don't answer. They keep hurting you until you're no longer conscious. After that, they snap your neck." Each word was grit out, and Hailey now understood how agonizing it must be for him to relive the inevitability of her death over and over again.

"James," she whispered as she cupped his face. Darkness in azure, his face grim. "I'm right here, love." She brushed her lips over his. "We need to discuss this." With a small kiss on his chin, she pulled him into the present. "Tell me about the details. Do you know when it'll happen?"

He shook his head as Hailey sat up straight again. "It will happen soon."

She frowned. "Did you see that, or do you _know_?"

"It's a knowing. I'm certain it won't take long anymore." His muscles taut, Hailey petted his chest, stroking her hands from his neck over his pectorals and back. James placed his hands on her hips, tension humming off his body.

"What time of day is it?"

James closed his eyes, as if to bring back the memory. "It's dark." A pause. "Streetlights are on, so it has to be late at night or after midnight."

Hailey nodded. "Okay." She released a breath. "So we can roughly narrow the time down to the maximum of two months?"

"No. It'll be sooner," he said, his eyes flicking open and his lips pressed together in a tight line.

She brushed her fingertips over his jaw. "One month?"

He nodded in verification of her parameters.

Hailey pursed her lips. "What about the place? You mentioned streetlights, so it has to be outside somewhere."

Blue eyes stared into hers, his pupils jet black against the deep azure color of his irises. "I've tried narrowing down the location, but after cross-referencing the images, it could be any of three hundred places in the city." His jaw clenched. "That is, _if _it even takes place in New York. Besides that, I'm under the impression the visions show shreds of images over a longer timeframe–several hours at least–so it could be multiple locations."

Hailey sighed. "That doesn't tell us anything. I still don't understand the motive, though. Why would anyone want to kill me? My abilities are useless once I'm dead." She turned her head towards the window when rain slammed against the glass, James' Tk slipping. Her features softened as she looked back at her Arrow.

"I've already done a background check." James said, his tone factual. "You have no obvious enemies or ex-boyfriends with psychopathic tendencies."

Hailey's eyebrows rose. "You did _what_?" She rolled her eyes, pushed herself off his lap and walked towards the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water and to blow off some steam. "That's just insane! You could have, well, I don't know, _asked me_," she sneered as she raised her voice to cover the distance.

_Well Hales, don't be too surprised. You already knew he was protective. _

But a background check? Was he serious?

_Of course he is. _

When Hailey re-entered the living area, she still felt upset by his major invasion of her privacy. "Did you also stop to check if I had any speeding tickets or how much money I've got in my bank account?" her voice snippy and movements jerky, she slammed the glass of water down on the coffee table.

"It is imperative to your safety that every angle is investigated." James' arrogant, matter-of-fact tone managed to piss her off even more.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Her words were razor sharp blades slicing through the air. "Of course I know people close to you are most likely to commit the crime." She shook her head. "But as you well know, I've been cut off from most people the past few months."

James stood up. "Your absence doesn't eliminate the possibility."

Hailey crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Well, since you already know everything about me, I guess it's no surprise that money can't be the motive. Since I stopped working, the Shine foundation reimburses my funds. I have enough to maintain my lifestyle but I don't have a lot."

James kept quiet for a while and Hailey could tell he was struggling with something.

"Nothing is more important to me than your safety," he finally said.

Hailey felt irritation flash inside her as she stepped back. "That doesn't make it okay. I'm not your assignment anymore." She raised her hand when he wanted to speak. "You need to treat me as an equal." Otherwise their relationship would remain unbalanced, no matter how often she'd stand up against him. "I'm not some empty-headed pretty little princess made from glass; you know this."

"You're not an Arrow either," he growled.

She stuck out her chin. "So, _that's_ what you want?" Hailey knew it was a rhetorical question but she pushed anyway. "Until I'm as lethal as Zaira or Nerida, you'll keep sheltering me from the world?" When she saw James' eyes darken, her heart clenched. She bowed her head and thrust a hand through her hair.

_He's trying_, Hailey reminded herself. And she couldn't expect him to change his usual modus operandi in tracking down a killer. _But he needs to know this isn't right. Not with me. _

Hailey tipped up her head and looked at James, who was staring at her with hard eyes. Decision made, she walked over to him and pulled him down before kissing him. His hand clenched in her hair, his other hand on her lower back.

_You're mine as much as I'm yours_, her telepathic voice was filled with resolve. _You can't pull those stunts with me._ She bit his lip and met his eyes, watchful and perceptive as his hands moved to rest on the curve of her waist. "Okay?"

The shadows in his eyes remained but he inclined his head. "Yes." He put a lock of hair behind her ear.

"It all still doesn't make sense to me," Hailey muttered as she kept holding him, softly stroking his nape with her fingertips. "What could someone possibly gain from killing me? Especially since I have a modest amount of powers _and_ an Arrow at my side." Her brow furrowed. "It's too much effort, too much of a risk without any obvious rewards." Looking out of the window again, she watched the drops drizzle down the glass as the rain shaded the city in a sober, grey hue.

"Most violent crimes are committed on impulse, but this seems to be organized. At least one of the individuals has Psy abilities and their combined strength is enough to ambush you. It indicates moderate to high Gradient Psy. Possibly trained operatives."

Listening to the information James had already gathered, Hailey found she was out of her depth. James was right. She wasn't an Arrow and she wasn't equipped to deal with a situation like this. So many questions remained unanswered, Hailey felt frustrated by her lack of insight.

It was as if James knew what she was thinking when he spoke. "You won't get the answers to your questions."

Hailey glanced up and asked the one thing that was still bothering her. "Where are you in the visions?"

James looked away, anguish and anger reflected in his eyes, as the rain turned to hail, firmly tapping against the windows. James' mouth was a grim line and his jaw iron tight. "I don't know."

Hailey wrapped her arms around him and rubbed her cheek against his chest. "It's okay. We're going to figure this out."

He said nothing but kept on holding her tightly against his hard body.

Tired from this intense day filled with powerful emotions, Hailey decided to call it a night early, and cuddled close to James as she fell into a deep sleep.


	31. Chapter 29

29

_A grunt and a thudding sound. Footsteps echoing against the walls of the alley. A sharp stab in her mind. Flat, brown eyes pinning her down. _

_Shards slashing through the air. Screaming voices, clawing, raking through her hea–_

"Hailey!"

Gasping, Hailey opened her eyes. Her cheeks were wet, her head throbbing and her heart racing in her chest. James pulled her onto his lap as she gulped for air, her lungs burning.

_You're not alone._

The sound of James' voice eased her choking fear. She buried her face in his chest, his embrace warm and his scent calming as he stroked her back.

After a minute, Hailey released a shuddering breath, her hands clenching his t-shirt. When she arched back, James cupped her chin.

She wiped away the tears from her cheeks. "I'm alright," she assured him, inhaling deeply. "This just… happens sometimes."

His tone was steel, his gaze hard. "Don't lie to me."

Her eyes skated away. "The nightmares never come when you're with me."

His fingers tightened on her chin. When she met James' gaze, he was looking at her so intensely, Hailey knew he was blaming himself for staying away for the past weeks.

"Don't," she said. "You didn't know." Hailey wiggled out of his embrace and stood up. She grabbed a hair tie from the nightstand and pulled her hair into a messy bun before walking over to the bathroom. After splashing some cold water onto her face, she dabbed her wet skin with a towel and returned to the bedroom.

James stood beside the bed, wearing a t-shirt, jeans and his boots, his arms folded in front of his chest.

She scowled. "I'm going for a run." Hailey slipped past him to the cabinet and opened the top drawer to grab a pair of leggings. Big hands clasped her wrists as James' warm chest pressed against her back.

She lowered her head and released the drawer, her hands curling into fists. "I don't want to talk about it." Pain filled her chest at the memories of that night.

"It was dark and you were alone."

His voice made Hailey shiver. "Stop," she whispered. She didn't want to tell him, didn't want him to know how badly that night had scarred her. It was too confronting, too painful.

"You were attacked," James continued.

Hailey wrenched back her arms and James released her, but he didn't step back. She turned around, her body an inch from his, and tipped up her head.

"You fought back," his eyes locked with hers. "You did nothing wrong."

Hailey's fists were so tight she felt her arms tremble. She'd always known James knew the general lines of what happened to her that night; she'd read the file Dev had sent to the Squad. As her mentor, James must have read it.

Devraj knew the details but had assured her the Squad didn't need to know, especially since he'd covered for her after the event. Shane had been the first on sight, and Dev had been one of the people who'd come for her after Shane had called him. Together, they'd helped her when she'd been shell-shocked and recovering in the infirmary of the Shine building.

"It doesn't make it right either." Her voice was sharp.

"You're punishing yourself for something that wasn't your fault." James used her own words against her. "I know you, Hailey. You don't want to harm others with your ability."

His gentle words didn't soften the blow, didn't make the events less painful. Hailey's Tk snapped out, making all the furniture shudder in her apartment for a heartbeat. James was unmoved by her lack of control, his tall frame towering over her as he watched her, unblinking.

"I did, though, didn't I?" A jagged laugh escaped her throat, shards stabbing in her lungs. "I've hurt Shane, I've hurt you… I deserve to feel like shit for what I did that night," she whispered.

"Why?" The audible frustration in James' tone incited her anger. It spilled out.

"Because I killed him!" she shouted, her heart thundering in her chest, her body trembling. "Is that what you want to hear? I lost control and I took a life! There's nothing I can do to turn that back!"

Needing distance, she stepped away and turned towards the window, her arms wrapped around herself, the air pulsing with energy. She jerked when James embraced her, his arms wrapped around hers and his chin on her shoulder.

"Let me go," her voice was a hoarse croak.

"Tell me what happened."

Hailey stared out of the window where the advertising screens of the small shops flashed in the dark. It didn't distract her from her current mindset like it sometimes did. Her muscles were still locked, her body stiff and stomach churning.

James' breath caressed her cheek when he spoke. "I'm not leaving you ever again, Hailey." Pain echoed in his voice. "Trust me."

Her face grim, she tracked the people walking outside, the street relatively quiet this time of night. They seemed to be in search of a bar, laughing and pulling each other along. She envied them for living their lives in blissful normalcy. The normal life she would never have back.

_Is that really what you want?_

Hailey had no answer to her own question. The events of that night had created a chain reaction she couldn't have prepared for. Just as she'd told James: her attacker wasn't the only one she'd hurt since then. Shane had been on the receiving end of her lack of control two months after the attack, when they'd had an argument. Luckily, he'd only ended up with a couple of cuts and bruises–but that wasn't the point.

Right then had been the moment when Hailey had decided to stop working at the high school, scared she might harm the children. She'd isolated herself as much as possible in order to keep her abilities in check. The only people she'd dared to see were the ones that had refused to leave her alone. Shane, Morgan, Aiseline, her father and some other friends were the only ones she'd trusted herself with, and even those visits she'd kept to a bare minimum.

That was almost six months ago. Too long for her social nature to be denied the contact, and too long for the changeling part of her to have lived on a ration of touch. It had _hurt_.

"It's all so messed up," she whispered now. Hailey closed her eyes when James' lips brushed her nape, reminding her she didn't have to live without the contact anymore, his touch anchoring her to the present.

And even though she didn't want to talk about it, Hailey knew she'd be responsible for the distance between them if she wouldn't tell James. After everything they'd been through, she only needed him. It was as if the wildness inside her wanted to lunge at him and keep him close.

_Bite the bullet, Hales. _

"I was walking home from a party," she started, her voice tight. "It was somewhere in the middle of the night." It had been a cold night, early in January. There had barely been any traffic, only a few people on the street. "I walked fast, felt antsy." Hailey released a shuddering breath as she kept looking out of the window. "When I covered a few blocks, a man bumped into me. I was startled." She shook her head. "He said nothing and continued walking. But the moment he walked into me, I _saw._" Her eyebrows knitted together. "Now that I come to think of it, that was probably the first time I drained someone–though it was just a little bit. I saw he wanted to hurt someone; an image appeared in front of my mind's eye. I followed him."

Hailey gritted her jaw as she recalled the flat look on the man's face. She'd known he was Psy, that he was dangerous… and still she'd chosen to follow him because she hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. "After maybe two minutes, he disappeared into an alley."

James tightened his arms around her as he listened, keeping her in the here and now.

"I don't know why I walked towards that alley by myself. It was one of the stupidest decisions I've ever made, which says something."

"You wanted to help," James' low voice was a murmur against the skin of her nape.

"I heard a crashing sound. The Psy had incapacitated a kitchen help who was taking out the trash from the restaurant he was working at." Hailey shivered in James' embrace. "I'll never forget the way he was screaming, the shrill sound of it. And the Psy man was standing over him, looking at him, hurting him."

Her heart raced inside her chest, just like it had done that night. Hailey swallowed past the lump in her throat. "I backed away to get help but I must have made a sound, because the Psy turned towards me and let the kitchen help go." Hailey's hands clenched on her arms, her breathing heavy. James' lips brushed over her nape again.

"The moment he used his telepathy," Hailey said as she quivered, "I still remember how it felt. It was just like with Edyson." She tipped her head sideways and locked eyes with James. "The shoving, clawing, searing feeling inside my head. There's nothing worse than feeling your mind tear apart." She kept holding his gaze, finding calm in mesmerizing azure. "The pain was unlike anything I've ever felt before. But the pain wasn't the worst part. It was the fear of having my mind torn open." Hailey exhaled and swallowed. "I have strong natural shields. Still, he was able to force himself inside my head. It was a fraction of a second, but it was enough." She turned towards the window again, her hands sliding over James' arms that were wrapped around her. The safest of embraces, the most welcome confinement. She leaned into his hold a little as she continued.

"He telepathically sent images and screams, all the voices that had begged for their lives, all the people he'd killed... as if he wanted to show me what he'd do to me." She still recalled the nauseating rolling of her stomach, the sick feeling of being invaded, the pictures he'd forced into her head.

"That's when I snapped." It had happened fast and slow at the same time. "My Tk burst out, shattering the windows of all the buildings close to the alley."

The shards had sliced through the air like a thousand crystal daggers, but because of the pain from the telepathic invasion, Hailey hadn't been able to steer them. "The glass cut us both, slashed through one of my arteries." She absentmindedly stroked her fingers over the scar on her lower arm, where the blood had gushed over her hand and had dripped to the ground, deep scarlet stains on the plascrete street.

"He hadn't expected me to fight back, and he tried to psychically attack me again. This time, he didn't indulge in his sick games. He blasted out a telepathic blow." Her head had spun when the telepathic hit had smashed against her mental shields. Blood had trailed from her nose, black spots in front of her vision. "But I didn't go down, and when I looked up, he _smiled_." A vile, rotten thing that smile had been. She'd known then, that she'd caught his interest in other ways than to be a quick hit to still the lust to kill.

"'I'll enjoy breaking you,' he said." Hailey shivered and wrapped her hands tightly around James' arms. James nuzzled her hair in reassurance.

"The next thing I remember is holding the kitchen help and screaming for medical aid. That's how Shane found me, covered in blood and yelling for help." Shane had left the party around the same time she did, and had noticed Hailey had forgotten her purse. Afterwards, he'd told her he was walking down the street towards her apartment when glass shattered around him and he heard screaming.

Before he could have helped her, it was already over. Shane had called Devraj immediately when he'd spotted Hailey, bloody and shaking.

"Your draining abilities," James said, breaking through the roaring memories.

"I believe so," she muttered. "Dev believed I used a burst of telepathy which incapacitated the attacker but I've never had that ability. Now that I know about the draining, it makes more sense."

There had been so much blood running out of his mouth and ears and nose–even from his eyes. No one had ever told her the details, but she could guess what had happened. The telepathic blow she'd meted out had turned his brain into mush, leaking out of every orifice. Hailey shuddered at the images that came to mind.

James turned her around in his arms, his dark blond eyebrows knitted together. "What was his name?"

Hailey frowned. "Lee Gordon." Shane had searched the Psy for a wallet and that idiot had actually brought it along, containing his digital identification slips. "Why?"

James went motionless. After several moments he grabbed her chin. Hailey blinked at his fast movement, confused by the rage she saw in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

She scowled. Of course she was sure. She'd never forget his name or his face ever again. "Yes."

Azure turned into dark, shadowed Prussian, James' shoulders tightening. "He was one of our targets."

Hailey's eyes went wide. "Your team was tracking him?" She'd known there was something seriously wrong with Gordon the moment he'd tried to invade her mind, but if the Arrows had hunted him, his mental state had been even worse than she'd thought.

"Yes."

James released her and walked over to the bed. When he sat down on top of the covers, Hailey followed him and knelt in front of him. James thrust a hand through his hair, white lines bracketing his mouth. "I could have stopped him."

Her eyebrows drew together. "How? You rarely have visions. How could you have known?"

"We were in New York at the time to take him in for questioning. The empaths had given Aden a warning that Gordon's presence in the Net felt off."

It was an advantage, Hailey realized, the Arrows hadn't had when the Net had been Silent. Empaths would be able to sense the ugliness that lived in people like Gordon; that kind of evil couldn't be hidden forever.

Rain started tapping against the window.

"Enforcement made sure we handled the case afterwards." James said as he stared at the wall behind her. "We were told a telepath with telekinetic abilities had taken Gordon down by accident but we couldn't find anyone that fit the description. Our efforts to question that telepath led to various dead ends." Which made sense, Hailey figured, if Dev had worked his magic. She returned her focus on James when he continued.

"At the time, our resources were stretched because several teams were hunting down leads on the Consortium. Aside from that we had only just started to establish a routine for the children at the valley, so we decided to close the case since the threat of Gordon's psychopathy had been neutralized." He locked eyes with her. "It was filed away as an unfortunate accident. Now makes sense why we couldn't find you; we were looking for a Psy female."

Hailey sat down, her elbows on her knees. "What happened afterwards is a blur. All I know is that Enforcement never got the chance to question me because Dev had taken care of it." She played a strand of hair through her fingers. "Within minutes after Shane found me, I was hauled into a car and brought to the building of the Shine foundation. Glen, a doctor Dev trusts, helped me. I was in the Shine infirmary for a couple of days to recover from my injuries and the psychic strain. After that, I went home."

The irony of how they'd managed to miss each other when their paths had almost crossed wasn't lost on her, and Hailey felt the corners of her mouth twitch–even though the entire situation was still extremely messed up. "Explain to me again how you never saw me coming."

James shook his head. "This isn't funny."

Eyebrows rising, Hailey leaned forward. "I know it's not, but we can't change it." She sighed. "I can never change the fact that I took his life, regardless of what he did."

"He was a murdering psychopath," James' voice was that of the pitiless soldier. "He needed to be stopped."

Hailey tilted her head sideways. "Yes, stopped. Not killed."

James hauled her onto his lap, both her legs on one side. "Your heart is too good." He brushed back a tendril of hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"I just told you I killed someone, and you call me good?"

He used her words against her again, emphasizing the parallels between the events that had forged their lives. "Did it give you a good feeling?"

Hailey shook her head. "Of course not." She studied his blue eyes. "I hate the fact that he was able to leave his mark on my life."

James slipped his hand around her nape and kissed her so fiery she was breathless by the time they broke the kiss. "That monster has no claim on you." He took hold of her wrist and lifted her arm in between them. "You were strong when you needed to be, and you've survived." He pressed his lips to her scar. "This is a badge of honor, a symbol of your strength and your will to live."

Hailey's heart swelled as she cupped his face and brushed his lips with hers. "Thank you for saying that, love. You're right, but it's difficult to think that way when the nightmares keep haunting me. The only times they haven't is when you're with me." She frowned as she suddenly became aware of the fact that the reason why her nightmare had emerged must have been James' absence. "Where were you?"

"I was doing a security check on the floor when I felt your distress. You were broadcasting," he answered.

Hailey rolled her eyes at him as her hands dropped to his shoulders. "We can't constantly be on guard for bad stuff to happen."

Azure blue frosted over. "Your death doesn't fall under the category 'bad stuff'." He gripped her chin, his features stark. "We should go to the valley. You'll be better protected if there are more Arrows to guard you."

Hailey shook her head. "No." Her tone left no room for arguments. "We can't be sure if that'll endanger the children." The mere suggestion made her muscles tighten. She'd never be able to forgive herself if something happened to any of them. "I'd rather die than see one of them get hurt because of me."

The air around them shimmered with James' violent energy. "I can't lose you."

Hailey's heart constricted at his gritted-out words, dark shadows covering his irises and his hand clenched firmly on her thigh.

"Then we have to come up with a plan. I can't stay here, locked away in my apartment for the rest of my life because of what you saw." She stroked her fingers past his jaw. "Are the visions all exactly the same?"

"No. The first one deviated most from the three others I glimpsed," he answered curtly.

"You need to show me."

James froze in rejection. "No."

Hailey curled her hand around his nape, brushing her thumb over his smooth skin. "We need every bit of information, every angle so we can stop this from happening."

"I'm not putting more nightmares in your head," his tone was inexorable.

Hailey wasn't going to give up so easily. They'd work it out and do it together this time. She shifted and straddled him, looking straight into his beautiful, hard eyes. "What would you have done if it had been one of the Arrows?"

James' hands smoothed down her hips, the caress possessive despite his remote gaze. "Your point is moot. You're a civilian."

Hailey snorted in an unfeminine way. "So that answers the question, doesn't it?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his. "You can't protect me from everything. We're in this together."

_I don't think this is a good idea, _his deep voice in her head.

She stroked his nape with the tips of her fingers. "It's an excellent idea. Do you have any other ideas?" She moved to kiss him, softly nibbling on his lower lip, taking the sting out of her challenge. "We need to try," she whispered in between kisses.

James' hands tightened on her hips. "Fine."

If Hailey hadn't known him, she would have thought he was shutting her down. But she _did_ know him. James wasn't acting cold, he was concerned.

_My protective Arrow, _she sent to him.

His voice sounded like a growl in her head, making her smile. _Only a Siren could lure me into a situation like this._

"Poor James," Hailey teased, "what would the other Arrows say if they knew you'd give in so easily at the hands of a five-foot-four girl? You better watch out they don't steal your lunch."

James bit her earlobe in rebuke, the stinging sensation sending shivers up her spine as she gasped and laughed.

_Focus,_ he whispered in her mind as he rested his forehead against hers again. James closed his eyes, his breath intermingling with hers and his hands tight on her hips. Hailey braced herself for the impact of his psychic touch while opening herself to him completely.

Violently the images rushed through her mind, the crashing sensation hard enough for Hailey to clench her jaw. All her thoughts stopped as she processed the rapid flashes James showed her.

_Shadows, darkness. Footsteps on the ground, the clicking of heels on a hard surface. _

_A silhouette to her left. Hands slamming out, a surge of power._

The images tumbled over each other, overlapped the next surge and seemed out of order. But none of that mattered when she was drawn deeper inside the vision.

_A hit, two shadows in front of her. A blast of power. _

_One down. _

_Heart pounding a sma–_

_Darkness, blood dripping from her cheek. Something ripping, another burst of power slamming against the shadow to her ri–_

_Chains, chains holding her down. Smoke. Vibrations of the earth. Another hit. A blow to her stomach, a shout. Gasping, no air. _

_Fire._

_Flickers of light, shadows moving. Screeching in her head, probing, pulling. Chains holding her do–_

_Darkness._

Gasping, Hailey felt her lungs burn. She was vaguely aware of a male voice, but the words didn't reach her. Her spine locked and she dug her fingers deeper in the surface she was holding, when telepathic message turned into something else as something snapped taut in her mind.

_Shadows moving, circling. Shadows slamming him down._

Her back and neck arched backward as she gulped for air, sucked into the images and living them so vividly, as if she was there.

_Blue eyes watching her, blood dripping from his lips. _

_Fire in her head, the penetrating smell of iron filling the air. An arm in front of her throat, a hand, sliding down her bod–_

_A shout._

Hailey tried to run, tried to get away from the vortex sucking her down. In the darkness, she slipped and fell. Deeper and deeper.

It hurt so, so much.


	32. Chapter 30

30

James regretted his decision to show Hailey his visions the instant she sucked in a breath at the intensity of the psychic images he sent her. Her body turned stiff and her eyes stared blankly at him. Moments passed, his heartbeat a drum in his ears. Then her irises turned entirely black and her head snapped backward, as he felt something pull inside him.

It looked like she was screaming without making a sound, her fingers digging into his shoulders. James' blood turned to ice as he lifted her and put her onto the bed. "Hailey," he spoke her name, demanding her to snap out of the vision.

She was falling deeper into the vision as it took her under. James didn't even stop to wonder how it was possible; he just wanted her to snap out of it. When Hailey's body started convulsing, he cupped her face, held her steady as her muscles spasmed. He felt so stupid for putting her into danger like this, for forgetting that she could react differently to–

_Her draining abilities._

James only now consciously registered the pulling sensation inside his mind. The feeling was slight and only familiar because he had experienced it once before. Hailey had accidentally triggered a vision but was cascading under the violent force of it.

"Hailey, listen to my voice."

She didn't respond, her eyes dark as starless nights and her muscles taut.

"Come back to me."

When he tried to reach her telepathically, it felt like slamming onto an invisible wall. James was no expert in mental combat; his telepathy was only strong enough to enter the PsyNet and telepath short distances. The barrier around Hailey's mind was so strong, he wasn't able to break through, wasn't able to save her from his mistake.

_Her natural shields._ Something must have triggered the shields around her mind to snap into place. He tried to access the pathway of their telepathic communication, but again, he slammed up against a shield that 'tasted' of Hailey's energy.

James' heart clenched in his chest, but he remained calm. When people panicked, they made mistakes. He would not gamble Hailey's life due to an oversight.

He reached for his phone to call Aden, when an alarm bell went off inside his head.

_Of course._

James wanted to hit himself for being so blind. The answer was presented right in front of him. His connection to Hailey had never been solely telepathically. It had always been an emotional connection, since the first day he heard her voice inside his head–and even before that.

Closing his eyes, James opened himself up, laid himself bare for her, more than he'd ever done. When he tried to reach her this time, he didn't slam against a wall.

No, Hailey was entirely open to him as he entered her mind. He looked into the vast darkness, jolts of jade and gold sparking in the abyss.

_There._

Her bright star was dimming, the avalanche of the massive cascade trapping her inside her own mind. She was still there, still alive. And she wasn't panicking. No, his fierce Siren was fighting, her star bursting out sparks, but it was like she was stuck in quicksand. The more she fought, the more she was trapped under the brutal power of the vision. It encased her, confined her.

James tried connecting with her, mentally reached out to her to lead her away. _Hailey, I'm here. Come with me._

Jade and gold sparked around him; her psychic presence aware of him. Faint echoes whispered through his head as he looked at her in the physical world. The convulsing had stopped, her hands clenched into tight fists. She was uncharacteristically quiet, but for her eyes. Jade and gold jolted in the darkness.

_Yes, keep fighting._

He went back to her on the psychic plane and tried to wrench back the transparent shield in which the vision was trapping her, hoping that, since it was his ability, he'd be able to stop it somehow.

It didn't work.

Sweat beaded down his spine as he tried to get to her, but he was pushed into the darkness time and time again. The echoes in his head grew stronger and he saw Hailey's star spiking, felt her fear as she was trapped for almost five minutes now. The longer it would take for him to reach her, the higher the chance was of her mentally snapping under the pressure of the cascade.

As a child of nine years old, James had once visited foreseers who had gone insane by overuse of their ability. It had been for training purposes, to show him what would be his destiny if he wouldn't be able to control his foresight. There wasn't a chance in the world he'd let Hailey undergo that fate, to let her turn into a catatonic shell.

_Wait, _he told her. But there was no more time, no more strength. He watched the lights in Hailey's eyes dim, felt his heart thunder inside his chest, fear taking over him.

"You can't leave me," his voice sounded raw as he bent down and cupped Hailey's face again. A tear streaked over her temple while jade and gold lights faded in the vast darkness.

"I need you to fight for me, to fight with me. I need your smile and light." He swallowed, his throat parched from his jagged breaths. "I'm yours, Hailey. I'll only ever be yours." He reached out to her once more as he opened himself up to her again, his dark, bloodstained soul right there for her to see. He channeled his need for her, the feeling of every fiber in his body longing for her, belonging to her. "Please, have me, forever." The words were a plea, a prayer, a begging request as James slanted his lips over hers and opened his third eye.

Hailey's star blasted and a shockwave of wild energy shattered the cascade. Hailey reached for him and James grabbed hold of her.

A shift, something slamming inside his head so violently, James jerked up his head and braced his hands on the bed to keep from falling off. Hailey gasped as her hand shot to her temple, wincing at the impact of the collision within their minds.

Relief flooded through him at the sound of her. James lifted her up and pulled her onto his lap, into his embrace. The darkness in Hailey's eyes receded, and her irises were glowing pure jade as she gulped in air, clinging onto him.

_I'm here, _he said while holding onto her just as tightly. _You're safe. I'm here. _

When she pulled back a little after almost a full minute, James observed her responses. Her cheeks were flushed, her skin gleaming with a fine layer of perspiration, her eyes piercing and alert. He had never felt so glad.

"I didn't know," he started, but Hailey placed her fingers on his lips.

"Hush," her breathing still choppy and her voice husky. "So many things happened just now, I don't even know where to start."

Eyes huge, she touched his cheek. Relief, warmth, happiness all uncurled inside him at the sight of her, here, present.

_Safe._

A slow smile crept over her face. "Forever? Are you sure?"

He brushed his lips over her jaw as he spoke. "So it seems."

She pushed gently at his shoulder and he leaned back. The luminous jade of her eyes dimmed until warm brown took over. "I don't think you can back out from this, my Arrow. I think this is a lifetime deal." Amazement colored her voice. "Are we..?"

"Yes."

James couldn't believe it himself. He entered the PsyNet and saw his own presence, a bright white star shielded by black, connected to others by thin gold threads that sparked with colors, courtesy of the empaths. But those weren't the only connections.

Right next to him, concealed from the Net, stood Hailey. Her star was bright and blazing with jade and gold flares. An intricate link that looked like a four-stranded braid connected him to her. One strand black and gleaming, one azure blue, one jade green and one a shimmering gold. The connection of multiple narrow threads made the bond strong, intense and burning with wildness.

James shielded their connection immediately, since they were already drawing curious onlookers in the Net who were foolish–or brave–enough to attempt to glimpse what had caused the shift on the psychic plane.

"God, it felt like being hit by a truck," Hailey muttered as she embraced him, her head leaning on his shoulder while she softly stroked his nape. "What happene–"

Hailey's phone started beeping, breaking the intimate moment between them. Scraping her throat, she picked up the device from her nightstand.

"Dad?" She stood up from his lap and swayed. James quickly caught her by use of his Tk but let her go when she scowled and motioned him to wait.

_Stubborn woman._

She walked towards the window and leaned against the wall as she watched the street. James shoved her a little to the side with his telekinesis. When she looked up, he answered her silent question.

_Possible spies. _

Hailey arched her eyebrow at him, her irritation noticeable through their new bond. _Really?_

When he kept glaring at her, she rolled her eyes and shook her head but steered clear from the window. She frowned as she focused her attention on the conversation with her father again. "No, I'm fine. The rest?"

James divided his attention when he felt a familiar powerful knock through the PsyNet. He entered the Net and followed Vasic–his star as bright as James'–to a secure vault. When the door slammed shut, James didn't waste a moment; aware that time was of the essence if he had to go on a mission or if Vasic had received any intel concerning the threat to Hailey's life.

_Am I needed? _James asked his second in command.

_No. Ivy asked me to check up on you. She told me Jaya felt a major shift in your part of the Net. _

Through the honeycomb, James thought, the empath with whom he was connected would be able to sense a difference. He wondered how it was possible that Jaya hadn't noticed previous changes in his fractured Silence but found his answer in his outer shields. They were just as strong as usual.

Like every Arrow, his shielding skills were excellent. Even though he initially thought his connection with Hailey broke his internal shields–causing the risk of his emotions spilling out on the Net–he now noticed that her powers amped up his shields even more. When James took a closer look, he saw the hard black armor gleaming with an oil-like layer of jade and gold.

_It seems you aren't the only one that__'s__ protective. _The thought made his chest expand almost painfully. James could sense Hailey's devotion to him, the overflowing amount of love she felt for him and he thought, perhaps, his heart might shatter at the understanding. The way she treasured him, _wanted_ him… It was almost too much to bear for a man who'd been so cold and hard, he would have run himself into the ground with all the horrifying missions and not have cared for a single instance if he'd lived or died.

Now, he saw the value _she _saw in him and he realized what it would do to her if he'd get hurt. He shuddered at the overwhelming overload of emotions. Hailey shot him a wide-eyed glance as she was conversing with her father. He shook his head in reply and returned his attention to Vasic. 

_I'm fine, _James told Vasic. _It seems I've… mated, for lack of a better term. _Perhaps mated was the most appropriate word, since Hailey was part changeling–which also explained the wild sensation of their bond.

James looked at Hailey as she responded to a question from her father as he continued his conversation with Vasic. _I'll need your help soon. _

_Let me know. _A pause. _Ivy says you shouldn't be stubborn and ask in time. _

James felt the corners of his lips twitch at the memory of Vasic' gentle but passionate wife. Their mates caused vulnerability, but it wasn't a weakness. No, with the determination fueling these small women, the vulnerability of having Hailey and Ivy at their sides turned into a strength of unknown proportions. Vasic would stop at nothing to protect Ivy. James felt the same way about Hailey.

_We should meet up today, _James answered. _I may need your help on more than one subject. _

_I agree you do, _Vasic' humor bone dry. _I'll pick you up at the extraction point_.

James looked up at Hailey and stepped out of the secure vault on the Net after verifying location and time with Vasic. She was looking at him, her phone in her hand, a frown on her face.


	33. Chapter 31

31

"My dad told me he felt our connection strain and almost snap in the ShadowNet." She walked towards her beautiful Arrow. "It's like you pulled me onto a different network but I can't quite reach it."

"Your assessment is correct," James' voice was matter-of-fact.

Hailey rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what that tone meant. "What did you do?" She straddled him and cupped his face with gentle hands. The tension she'd noticed while she'd been calling with her father, eased under her touch and Hailey could sense James' content through their bond. Warmth unfurled in her stomach, butterflies fluttering rapidly at that thought.

_Their bond. Her Arrow._

"I'm shielding you," he said as he closed his eyes, arching into her caress. Smiling, Hailey closed her eyes and stepped onto the psychic plane. What she saw took her breath away.

James' bright, razor sharp star–the epitome of his practical, martial mind–was covering her, protective and vigilant as always. She inched closer and touched their connection, the colors from their intertwined threads bleeding into each other, currently gleaming blue-black, sparking with jade and gold. Ever changing, just like her eyes.

_Beautiful._

And _finally_, the constant pull she'd felt to James made sense. What she realized now also made her feel kind of stupid.

Hailey never thought she would be able to experience it, especially since James was Psy and only a _very_ small part of her was changeling. But all this time, from the moment they'd first met, the moment when she'd first heard his voice in her head, it had been because he was _her mate._

Their telepathic contact, the constant magnetism between them, the unexplainable connection, the extreme sense of hopelessness during James' absence… It had all been because he was meant for her and she was meant for him. Hailey's heart swelled impossibly more at the understanding.

_It had been the mating dance all along._

Usually, the males knew when the mating dance started and the females were the ones who'd make the final decision. But James wasn't changeling. He'd been Silent, for heaven's sake. He couldn't have had any notion of the fact that this had been happening. Inwardly, Hailey cursed the Gods who'd chosen to throw this curveball at her. On the other hand, they also deserved kudos for pairing her up with such an extraordinary man.

Laughing at herself a little for the paradox of her feelings, she tried to exit the area where she stood but was stopped by a dark shield shimmering with a jade and gold layer.

"Why?" she asked as she looked for her connection to the ShadowNet.

Hailey felt a slight panic when she found none of the chaotic, colorful threads she was so used to seeing. _I don't really feel cut off… It's more like I'm in the same building but on a different floor,_ she told James.

"Because there are still people who will try to take advantage of you once they know the full scale of your abilities." A brush of his knuckles against her cheek. "And yes, it does make sense. Psy and Forgotten are both psychic beings, but you have genetically evolved so much that we shouldn't be able to access the other network."

Hailey shook her head. "That's not entirely true. I don't know the exact details of it, but Katya, Dev's wife, is living from the biofeedback in the ShadowNet and she's Psy."

James frowned a little. "There are also humans connected through their mates in the PsyNet, although they don't need the biofeedback. Are you able to reach the ShadowNet right now?"

"I'm not sure." Hailey closed her eyes and searched for the link connecting her to her father, Shane, Morgan and others. She pursed her lips. "I can sense it's still there, but it's like I can't access it. It's similar to when you shielded me during my stay at the valley." Not intrusive, not severed, just… restricted.

James brushed his thumb over her lower lip. "My shield is most likely the reason for the blockade."

Hailey opened her eyes, looking into the familiar depths of the most magnificent blue. She cupped his cheek. "Let me go."

James' jaw set. "It's not safe."

"You can't keep me safe by putting me in a box. The visions started before we mated, so it makes no difference if anyone sees our connection." Hailey stroked her other hand through his hair. "You can't expect me to hide forever. That equals a different kind of death and you know it."

Familiar adamantine in his voice as he cupped her chin. "The current threat isn't the only threat. There are people for whom killing is sport, their thirst for power never quenched. They'd stop at nothing to have access to your powers. You have no idea how valuable a weapon you could be." His hard eyes softened as the pad of his thumb brushed her cheek. "Your mind doesn't work like that, I know."

"And we're happy it doesn't, right?" she asked slowly as she tried to figure out what he was aiming at.

"Yes. You wouldn't take advantage of others. It's good to know that a power of this magnitude can fall into the right hands." His lips curved as he shook his head. "You realize your draining ability is off the scale?"

When she frowned, James spelled it out for her. "Your eyes, Hailey." He pulled out her hair tie, dark waves tumbling over her shoulders. Running his fingers through the ebony mass, he said, "The reason why it started changing after the attack is not because of your high gradient Tk. It's because you're a cardinal in your own field."

Hailey sucked in a breath. "You're lying."

The look James gave her made it very clear he wasn't.

She bit her lip. "If that's true, then there is no limit to who I could drain." She blinked and whispered, "Jesus… If I get it under control, hell, I could strip Krychek himself of his ability if I get close enough." Her eyes went wide as she finally understood what James was saying. "My God," she let out a deep breath, her heart slamming double-time. "It's close to a miracle nothing catastrophic has happened so far." The idea of draining someone powerful, only to lose control of the power she'd absorbed… it was like playing a game of Russian roulette with thousands of lives at stake.

James tugged on a strand of her hair. "I only see it now because I see _you_, because you've let me in–although I suspected it during our training." He gently brushed his lips over hers. _Don't be afraid of what you can do, Hailey. You have a good heart and you would never let your abilities corrupt you. _

Hailey wasn't sure if James' trust in her was just. She wasn't a nefarious person but she definitely wasn't a saint either.

"Well, I have no choice now but to continue training after this is all over." That was, if she didn't get murdered by people who somehow had discovered what she could do. Hailey arched her eyebrow at James as she attempted to shrug off the terrifying visions she'd witnessed earlier. "That doesn't mean I'm surrendering to your will, milord."

James clenched his hand in her hair, placing his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. _I can't lose you._

Hailey wrapped her arms around him, holding this strong man who trusted her enough to be vulnerable with her. Her heart squeezed. She was very aware that she made him feel exposed, that their relationship shook his world on its pillars.

_I can't turn into a subordinate, docile princess for you to shield at every turn of the way_. She couldn't love herself if she'd become like that. _And even if it frustrates you, you don't want me to become that way either. _They needed to be partners, equals.

Hailey spoke aloud. "If you keep concealing and sheltering me from the world, I will lose the part of myself that you fell in love with."

He leaned back and tightened the hand he held in her hair, tipping up her head to meet his gaze, her eyes completely dark. "_Never again_ will I be responsible for smothering the life, the light in you." Anger resonated in his voice, depths of pain layering in his words. The duality of the situation was tearing him apart, his need to protect her in direct conflict with his need to let her fire burn. He couldn't extinguish her light by keeping her trapped. She would stay with him out of love, but she wouldn't be Hailey.

_What if she's wrong and this_ is_ the catalyst that causes the events to come into play? _

James gritted his teeth, torn by the diversity of emotions he was experiencing. Hailey silently watched him, knowing him well enough to give him time to process her words. "I can't, Hailey. Not yet."

Her features softened as she cupped his face, her soft hands warm on his jaw. "You do remember you still have a job, right? Do the words 'technician' and 'Arrow Squad' ring a bell?"

James leaned forward and bit her lower lip, which made the corners of Hailey's mouth tug. "Yes, I'm well aware you're in disagreement of having a bodyguard." He moved his hand from her hair to her chin. "Being entirely open on two networks can cause even more danger."

Hailey frowned. "Then teach me how to shield myself similarly to your shielding."

"It will take time," was his measured response.

It had taken him years of focus and repetition to make sure his shields were impenetrable. Hailey had strong natural shields but had no experience with shielding techniques. To teach her would take days to cover the basics alone. After that, it would take conscious effort on her part to maintain those shields until the automatism was embedded deeply enough for her to subconsciously keep them up.

She nipped at his lip. "Don't be so ill-tempered about it or I'll ask someone else for help. That Evan bloke is kind of cute."

James kissed her smart mouth hard and possessive, his chest rumbling at her taunt. Hailey's eyes were still sparking with humor when he pulled back, jade and gold lights flickering in deep brown.

He released a deep breath as he shook his head. _I wonder how much easier my life would be if you had been subordinating and docile. _

As Hailey snorted, she grinned. _It would bore you to death, _her warmth and laughter in his mind, amplified through their bond.

He tasted the smile on her full, soft lips. _This, _he thought to himself, _this is what you'd lose._

But today, his unique mate made sure to keep him sharp–thus proving her point–and chose compliance over defiance. "Okay," she said as she rubbed her cheek against his temple. "Not yet."


	34. Chapter 32

32

Five hours later, James parked Hailey's car in front of an empty office building in East Tremont. James had told her it was an Arrow extraction point, where he'd requested Vasic to pick them up and teleport them to a private location in order to discuss her abilities and his visions.

This early in the day, the only people walking down the streets where those who'd finished their shift working at a comm factory a couple of blocks down the road, and some of the homeless Psy that roamed through the Bronx. Most of them were addicts, their addiction originating from the time before Silence had been broken. Hailey's Psy colleague had once explained that the addicts had chosen substance abuse over a life without emotions.

_The things we do to fill the void… _

She shook off her thoughts and unfastened her seatbelt. "Maybe it's possible for me to actually access the PsyNet if I use my powers to a moderate extent, connecting myself through you." She met James' eyes after she'd stepped out of the vehicle. "Could that be a possibility? For me to control it enough that I can use bits and pieces instead of it in its entirety?"

James walked around the car and cupped her face as he leaned against the vehicle. "I don't see why not, seeing that other abilities can also be used in several gradations."

But of course, that would require a certain amount of psychic control. Hailey pulled a face. "I should really get back on track with the training schedule, then." She already figured out her vision contained different information, even though it shared the same outcome as James'. She'd told him about the images where he'd been hurt, where his blood had trickled along the corner of his mouth. She'd also told him about the sharp stabs of pain she'd experienced…and still they weren't closer to finding an answer to what was going to happen.

Hailey shuddered.

James' eyes softened as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. He'd told her she accidentally used a small amount of her powers to channel his F-abilities, causing the telepathic images to trigger an actual vision.

It made sense to her, but that hypotheses did contain one major issue: Hailey hadn't been aware of tapping into the draining part of her abilities. It posed a serious problem if she couldn't gain more control over herself, since she could accidentally switch her ability on and off at any given moment, instead of only having to worry about it when her emotions spiked.

Feeling a bit uneasy because she still didn't understand how her powers worked even though she was discovering more facets of it, she leaned into James' caress and placed her hand around his wrist. Whatever would happen, he'd keep her safe.

_Safe from everything but your death. _

Hailey mentally gave the stupid voice in her head a roundhouse punch. She wouldn't _ever _hold James responsible if anything happened to her. It wasn't his fault and they'd figure it out. Together.

His deep voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Are you alright?" The dark timbre warmed her from the inside.

_Yes_. She tipped up her head to meet his gaze. _You're here with me. _

_You're mine, Miss Logan. Forever._

His possessiveness made butterflies flutter in her stomach, but she couldn't help playing with him a little. _I haven't seen a ring yet._

James' eyes lit up in interest, the curiosity noticeable to her through their new-formed bond. _Do you want to get married?_

Hailey bit back a smile, happiness bubbling in her bloodstream at the idea of claiming him in every possible way. _You'll find out if you ask me._

She laughed aloud when James hauled her into his embrace and kissed her, his mouth possessive and demanding, the taste of him her addiction. She melted into him, tunneling her fingers through his hair a–

The clearing of a throat made both their heads snap up. Heat rushed to Hailey's cheeks when she saw Vasic had arrived. His grey eyes had seemed cold to her when she'd first met him, but now she saw something change in his expression while he looked at James, as if Vasic was happy to see his fellow Arrow experience life, love.

_Badass soldiers with big hearts._

"I could come back in a few minutes," Vasic said.

The dry comment made Hailey blush even deeper and she pushed herself out of James' embrace. _Big hearts and big mouths, apparently._

James let her go–except for the hand he kept on the small of her back. The contact made her skin warm. How was it possible that man made her respond so much to him?

Shoving aside that ambiguous thought, Hailey looked at the teleporter in front of her.

"That won't be necessary," James said. "We'll reschedule."

A snort left Hailey's throat as she elbowed James. _I can't believe you just said that! _

James' face was a blank mask when replied. _He knows we're physically intimate. Remember, he gave me a manual as well._

_You're terrible, _she hissed while Vasic asked if they were ready. _Just because he knows, doesn't mean you have to tell him when and where! Boundaries, love, _she said pointedly.

James shot her a look Hailey could only describe as boyish, a smile in his eyes and his lips twitching, making her heart melt into a puddle. She leaned into him as they were teleported. The air around them shimmered before the world slid together into a coherent place.

Hailey didn't understand why she reacted this badly to Vasic' teleports when her stomach churned. Just like the first time, the travel made her disoriented and nauseous.

When James glanced at her, she shook her head. _It's nothing. Probably has something to do with my abilities or because my psyche works different from yours. _"Where are we?" Hailey asked aloud when she looked around at the rows of trees standing on a neatly cut lawn, the sweet scent of apples in the air. _An orchard._

Vasic started walking through the trees. "Ivy and I live here." Hailey followed him as James moved his hand from her back to clasp her hand. Breathing in deeply, Hailey inhaled the crisp air and felt the nausea pass.

They walked towards a house at the end of the orchard where Ivy stood in front of the large verandah, clad in dirt-stained overalls. She removed her gardening gloves before wiping her hair out of her face. "Hailey, James! It's good to see you." The warm smile from Vasic' E made Hailey feel instantly at ease.

She released James' hand and walked towards Ivy. "It's beautiful here," she said as she turned around to look at the green and red fruit hanging in the trees, the scenery creating a moment of peace in her chaotic life.

Ivy's smile grew. "It's a lot of hard work, but it's worth every minute." She looked at James and Vasic, who were standing silently next to each other. Hailey felt her lips twitch at the sight of these tall, dangerous men, watching their small, strong-willed women.

Ivy grinned and shot her a knowing look. "Let's go inside."

An hour later, Ivy's smile had disappeared after hearing about James' visions and Hailey's story. Frowning, she got up to refill their drinks. "Let me see if I get this straight," Ivy muttered before putting a carafe of water on the table. "You drain abilities and you guys think someone, somehow, found out about it, and now they want to kill you?"

Hailey nodded after taking a sip from her glass. "I know, it sounds like something straight from a movie. I can barely grasp the idea of me having these abilities in the first place." She frowned. "I really don't understand how anyone–aside from some of the Arrows–knows about them."

Ivy sat down at the large dinner table next to her husband and shot Vasic a glance. Vasic gave her a small nod. "There has been a previous situation where an Arrow went rogue," Vasic said. "We can't be sure if there is someone that wants to eliminate the threat of what you can do."

Hailey noticed James' shoulders stiffen. She touched his hand under the table. _Was it someone you were close with?_

_No_, was his immediate reply. _But it has been suggested in my file that I could have gone rogue, given my disobedience concerning teleportation._ He gently squeezed her hand. _Let's focus on the problem at hand._

Hailey glanced at him for a moment before she replied to Vasic. "But how can they know the full scale of it? I barely understand how any of it works myself, and as far as I know, I'm the only one whose abilities ever manifested this way." She bit her lip in thought. "I was told it was a side effect of leaving the PsyNet. New abilities were shut down in the Net by the Council."

Ivy pursed her lips. "Well, maybe that's your answer. Maybe someone doesn't want these new psychic abilities to emerge, thus staining the Psy genetic legacy."

"You're thinking PurePsy fanatics are behind this?" James asked, his frown slight. "They have been taken out of the equation some time ago. Consortium seems more likely to me."

"It could be a possibility," Vasic answered. "Especially since your visions suggest it is organized by highly trained individuals with high-Gradient abilities." He looked at James. "How else could they possibly take you down?"

Hailey thought about that. "You were still alive in the vision I saw, before I died." She shuddered at the memory of the pain inflicted on her, at the shattered look in her Arrow's eyes.

James reached out and brushed his knuckles over her cheek. _I won't let anything happen to you._ Determination colored his voice and his strength pulsed through their connection.

_We'll figure this out, _she assured him. She'd fight with every fiber in her being to avert the outcome of their visions. _We're not done just yet. _

When Hailey turned towards Ivy and Vasic, she saw they were debating something telepathically as well. Vasic looked at her. "Are you able to drain my teleportation abilities?"

"In theory, I think so," Hailey answered. "I could try it, but I don't think the ability 'sticks' for longer than a few moments." She wasn't even sure if that were true, since she'd never been able to manage the power she duplicated beyond the single outburst. Even though the duplicating of Evan's ability was the exception to that rule since the valley had frozen in place for a longer amount of time, the actual moment she'd experienced Evan's energy flow through her head had only been a short second.

"No." James' voice was steel as he faced Vasic, whose face betrayed nothing.

Hailey stroked James' arm and felt his rigid muscles though his leather-synth jacket. "Don't shut us out, that's bad manners," she chastised with a slight frown.

James stared at her with familiar hardness in his eyes; it was the look that told her he wouldn't budge on this point. "I was telling Vasic I won't let you do it."

Hailey raised her eyebrows. "Really? You won't_ let_ me?"

"No, I won't." Absolute and confident. "I'm the expert when it comes to teaching psychic abilities. You don't get to make the call." His tone was arctic.

She turned to James, uncaring of Vasic and Ivy as spectators, and poked her index finger in his chest. "Don't you fucking dare to pull rank on me. That's not how any of this works." Equality, so it seemed, was a word James didn't have in his vocabulary. Yet.

_Arrogant man._

He faced her and grabbed hold of her wrist. "It should." And she could tell he was dead serious about that.

The defiance within bared its teeth at James' inexorable tone, but then Hailey sensed something through their connection.

_Distress. _

Frowning, she changed her approach as she tugged her wrist free. "Why?"

"You have no control over where you'll end up. It might be in the middle of the ocean," his gaze turned glacial when she smirked a little, "but it also might be in front of a train."

_Oh… _

Even though teleporting somewhere sounded like a fun and extremely useful skill–if it wouldn't make her feel so sick when doing it–Hailey hadn't considered that aspect. She nodded and turned back towards Ivy and Vasic, who were staring at the both of them with equal amounts of amusement and amazement. She ignored their looks and said, "Okay, so no teleporting."

"No," James clarified, his voice still coated in frost, "no draining, period. Not until you gain more control."

Ivy shook her head and spoke up. "You can't put her in a glass box, James. I know you want to protect Hailey, but stopping her from using her abilities won't teach her anything."

James looked like he wanted to break something, his jaw hard as stone. Hailey's respect for Ivy grew as she watched the empath stare down James. Then again, Ivy held up her own in meetings with Nikita Duncan and Kaleb Krychek. She was probably used to a little resistance if she could deal with the ruthless, ice-cold businesswoman and the most dangerous man in the Net.

Hailey's lips twitched at the thought of Ivy fighting for her race with abandon. Regardless of her gentle nature, The empath was no pushover.

"Maybe," Hailey placed her hand on James' thigh, the muscles rigid under her touch, "we should let this all sink in a little." She ignored James' cool glance and looked at Ivy. "Could you show me the rest of the orchard?"

Ivy nodded. "Of course." When she stood up, Hailey followed her lead and walked outside.

Ivy and Vasic invited Hailey and James to stay over for the night. Because James had obligations at the valley, he returned to the Arrow facility for a couple of hours together with Vasic.

"I'll be back later tonight," he had said as he'd brushed his knuckles past her cheek. She'd nodded and had watched the men vanish as Vasic teleported them out.

Several hours later, Hailey and Ivy returned from walking a second time through the orchard, this time together with Rabbit. The small dog was panting as he ran to the front of the house to drink some water out of a small bowl.

Hailey looked at Ivy. "I'll never get quite used to the teleporting."

Ivy's copper eyes sparked with humor. "It took me a while too," she said as she tugged down the sleeves of her wide knitted cardigan. They took a seat on wooden lawn chairs in front of the verandah, after Ivy lit a laz-fire to add a little warmth to the chilly evening. Rabbit walked over to Ivy's chair and, after huffing out a deep breath, flopped down in front of it.

Hailey flipped up the hood of her sweatshirt and folded her legs underneath herself. "You have a lovely home. Thank you for letting us stay here."

Ivy smiled. "Luckily I can get a lot of work done from here so I don't have to leave all the time." She frowned as she switched topics. "You seem calm considering the circumstances."

Hailey shrugged. "The whole idea of someone kidnapping and killing me is so foreign, I think my mind can't really process it, even though I experienced it in the vision." A slight smile appeared on her face. "Are you getting that vibe through your abilities?"

Ivy thought about that for a moment before she replied. "I think my abilities are so intertwined with my observational skills, I often use them subconsciously." She leaned down to pet Rabbit, which made the small dog puff out another deep, satisfied breath. "Have you thought about leaving the city?"

Hailey shook her head. "I can't avoid what's coming. I don't want to run from it just to keep looking over my shoulder at every turn." She blew out a frustrated breath. "I just hate that I can't get a grip on my abilities. They would be extremely useful if I could utilize them when I get attacked."

Rabbit yawned and Ivy leaned back in her chair. "I'm sure you'll find a way." A warm smile. "If you're determined enough to capture a stubborn Arrow, you'll be able to handle the draining."

Hailey grinned. "He _is _stubborn, isn't he?" She pursed her mouth. "Though, I must be doing something right if he went from calling me fat to calling me beautiful in a matter of weeks."

Ivy made a choking sound, her eyes big. "He did _what_?"

Laughing, Hailey suddenly felt a warm hand on her shoulder, oak moss and sandalwood mingled with the crisp air. She jerked and looked over her shoulder. James stood behind her, watching her with his eyebrow slightly raised.

"Jesus!" she exclaimed, a hand splayed on her chest. "Were you guys sneaking up on us?" Hailey looked from James to Vasic, who had appeared right behind Ivy's chair. "You guys are ten years old, you know that right?"

James' lips twitched when he bent down to kiss her pouting mouth. _I'm glad you're happy to see me._

Hailey nipped at his lower lip. _Shut up, _the sting taken out of the comment since she was grinning at his very unArrow-ish behavior.

Vasic' voice drew her attention away from James. "You called her fat?" He looked at James with such a blank stare, Hailey had to bite her tongue to stop laughing. "I always believed you were highly intelligent. Now I'm severely starting to question my observational skills."

Ivy scowled at James. "I can't believe you said something like that!"

Hailey tipped up her head to azure blue eyes that were staring daggers at her. Hiding her snort in a cough, she managed to pull a straight face before saying, "I know, it's such an inappropriate thing to say, right?"

_I'm going to punish you for this_, James said. The dark promise made her shiver and her stomach clench.

Hailey stood up from her chair to face her Arrow. "Well, love. Please, do tell us what you were thinking."

James narrowed his eyes a little. _Your punishment will be slow. _

Hailey's stomach flipped. _When you make a promise, you better intend to keep it._

In the blink of an eye, James sat down on the chair with Hailey on his lap, her legs towards one side so she could face Vasic and Ivy. James had moved so fast, she didn't even have time to gasp. Hailey saw light spark in Ivy's eyes, as if she was laughing inwardly.

"Miss Logan has a way of doing the exact opposite of what she's instructed to do," James said as he ran his fingers across her spine. "It was far more effective to give her proper incentive–to show me wrong–then to ask nicely." His fingers slightly brushed her butt as he ran his hand up and down again. "And I believed provoking her had a higher chance of success, since she'd eventually use her training in sparring sessions."

Hailey shook her head. "You're crazy. You thought I would train more effectively if I could get satisfaction out of hitting you for making stupid comments?" Laughter bubbled out of her. "That's the most messed up way of coaxing a woman I've ever heard." _You better not give the other Arrows this ridiculous advice when they're attempting to date,_ she telepathically warned.

James pulled down her hood and brushed his knuckles over her cheek. "It worked, didn't it?"

Hailey pulled a face. "Of course not."

Ivy snorted but managed a straight face when Vasic shot her a look.

Hailey cupped James' face, aware that he still didn't see his worth, didn't consider himself to be good. Luckily, she was there to remind him.

_I fell for you because you were there for me when I needed you. You cared for me and protected me. _She scrunched her nose. "But it does help that you're really, _really _pretty, _ma Flèche_."

His eyebrows rose. "You speak French?"

_Didn't find that in your background check, did you? _she smugly said while vocally adding, "_Mais bien sûr. Ne me sous-estime pas, chère_," reminding him not to underestimate her–even though she'd had to look up the French word for Arrow. "I thought Canadians were bilingual. Should I translate it for you?" she offered sweetly, getting another snort of laughter from Ivy before the empath turned to her mate to discuss something privately.

"_Merci pour l'offre, je me débrouillerai,_" James now said, unabashed arrogance, his native language rolling off his tongue in a lazy cadence, making her want to kiss the words off his mouth.

"You'll manage?" A small sniff, then a rueful smile. "If you turn it up a notch, I won't be able to follow," she admitted.

"Where did you learn?" Ivy asked.

Sparks of laughter in her chest. "Snowboarding trips," and she looked at James, knowing by the smile in his eyes that he, too, was reminded of the time where he'd dared her during her class after which they'd had their first training session together. "Europe has some very nice ski resorts."

_Your social skill has vastly improved since then, _Hailey said to her mate.

_Your focus hasn't,_ was the quicksilver reply.

She stared at him with an open mouth. "You _did not_ just say that!"

Open amusement in his eyes, as the man who owned her heart played with her. "I haven't been able to gauge the levels of your control for some time now."

"If you keep this up, that level will be close to zero," she threatened. Hailey bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing when James arched his eyebrow in pure dare, but couldn't hold it in when she saw Vasic look from her to James with an alien expression, as if he stood perplexed by the game they had been playing.

Ivy shot her a warm smile, and Hailey felt light in her heart as she leaned into James and enjoyed the evening of normality, even though shadows were lurking in the distance.


	35. Chapter 33

33

"They have the most unusual connection. Who would have thought she'd be right for him?"

"If whatever they both saw will come to pass, it'll be the death of him, too."

"They deserve so much more of life. They've both been through so much already… And they need each other to heal, to become complete."

"Life isn't always fair–you know it isn't."

"Then let's help them come up with a plan to level the playing field."

\- Conversation between Ivy Jane Zen and Vasic Zen

Waking up after a full night's sleep, Hailey's head felt a little heavy. The months of sleep deprivation caused her body to get used to a couple hours of rest, though she wasn't complaining. In time, it would get better.

James was already up, but Hailey could feel his presence in the back of her mind through their bond. She got dressed in the leggings and black tank top she'd worn yesterday and zipped up a large hooded sweatshirt over her top. When she walked out of the guest bedroom, she saw Ivy watching the news on an entertainment comm in the kitchen.

They chatted for a few minutes while Hailey ate some cereal. When she was done eating, she looked outside through one of the windows that looked out over the orchard. "Where are the guys?"

"They're sparring," Ivy said as she shook her head. "James was frustrated because he and Vasic couldn't figure out how to act on the vision without putting you on full lockdown. They've been at it for some time now."

Hailey's heart thudded at the memory of the time she'd sparred with James. She grinned at Ivy. "Maybe I should join them, get some of my own frustration out of my system." And show her lover exactly how much her control had improved since their last sparring session.

Ivy smiled. "Let's go."

They stepped outside and walked over to Vasic and James, who were going at it on a field of grass on the right side of the house. Rabbit was lying in the grass several yards away, watching the men with silent focus.

Amazement bloomed in Hailey's heart at seeing James move, his body's motions effortless with every punch and kick. Vasic blocked his attacks and moved to charge at him.

"It's incredible how he can still fight even though he's lost his arm," Hailey said as she glanced at Ivy.

Ivy's pride and love for her husband were written all over her face. "He's amazing, isn't he?" She tilted her head to the side. "But I can tell he's compensating with his Tk to even out the fight."

Hailey looked back to the men and saw Ivy was right; at some instances, James' movements were blocked by an invisible blow, as if Vasic had a phantom limb. Hailey pursed her lips. "Go figure. I guess they're the elite for a reason."

They watched the men fight for a couple of minutes before Hailey walked over and called it a tie. She tossed them both a bottle of fortified water she'd brought from the house.

James looked beautiful and dangerous in his tight black t-shirt, the ridged muscles of his torso showing through the dark, sweat damp material. Her heart jumped when he looked into her eyes.

_God, I'm such a goner for him._

She tipped her head sideways. "Are you in for another round?"

His eyes blazed at her invitation as he tossed the bottle to the side. "Always."

The way James' eyes burned as he took her in made warmth uncurl inside, butterflies fluttering rapidly in her stomach as her cheeks flushed.

"Let's do it," she quickly said before he could distract her more by just standing there and be himself.

_He just looks so extremely de–_

"Focus, Hales," she muttered before crouching in a defensive stance.

James counted out loud. "Three, two–" At the exact same time as he was counting down, Hailey heard James' most sexy voice in the walls of her mind. _Your punishment will involve nudity. _

She was so caught off guard by his telepathic message, she didn't register him counting down to one. Of course James knew that, as he was already straddled on top of her after swiping her legs out from under her and catching her with his Tk.

"Damn it!" Hailey exclaimed as James crouched over her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Focus." His rough voice made her shudder, but before she could respond, he was already standing and held out his hand.

She took it and hauled herself up. "You're cheating," she accused as she moved several steps backward. His lips twitched a little when he locked eyes with her again.

Hailey glanced to the side, where Ivy and Vasic were standing with amused expressions on their faces. "Ivy, could you count down please?" Hailey smirked at James, whose eyes were gleaming with determination. Her stomach clenched.

Ivy's voice filled the air, snapping Hailey to attention. "Three, two, one, go!"

Hailey dashed towards James and used her Tk to speed up her movements. James stepped aside to avoid the impact, but she was able to grab his arm. When she pulled him towards her, he already twisted away.

_Too damn slow. Come on, Hales! _She amped herself up by focusing her Tk as James lashed out with a punch. Blocking his arm with hers, Hailey slammed out her palm against his chest. Just before she touched him, he grabbed her wrist. Using her Tk, she wrenched out of his hold by angling her arm inward.

Hailey lifted her leg to kick forward, but again, she was too slow. James grabbed her ankle–her leg still in the air–and twisted her to topple her over. Thinking quickly, she bent down, braced her hands to the earth and swiped her other leg over the one he was holding, kicking him against his shoulder in a smooth motion.

At the moment of contact, Hailey she saw the spark in James' eyes… and she knew playtime was over. He released her ankle and she dropped to the ground, catching herself with a Tk-cushion. When James moved to pin her down, the only thing she could think of was to roll sideways.

Hopping into stance, Hailey put her guard up and stepped back to avoid James' kick, but he moved _so incredibly fast_, she had no way of winning. James tapped her thigh and she was barely able to crouch down when he made a move to clasp her arms. She felt the excitement rush through her body when she saw an opening. Striking a blow at his shoulder–

Her exasperated growl filled the quiet as she was swinging out at air, James having moved away again. She twisted to pull back, only to feel strong arms locking around her waist as James' lips lightly touched the shell of her ear. Gasping at the contact, Hailey's blood heated at the sensation of James' big, hard body pressed against hers.

"You've been practicing," he mumbled against the delicate skin behind her ear, his tone a mixture of surprise and satisfaction.

Heart slamming in her chest and lungs straining from exertion, she leaned into his embrace and glanced sideways. "And still this is nowhere near an even match," she muttered while wiping the layer of perspiration from her nose and inhaling deep breaths, her competitive nature getting the better of her.

James bit her earlobe and let her go. _You're beautiful when you're angry. _

Hailey narrowed her eyes and hushed the butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she turned to face him. _You're pretty, period_, she needled.

James' eyebrows rose a fraction. "Careful." He stepped back.

Hailey sighed and pushed back loose tendrils of her hair from her messy bun. "Let's try again, but I know I can't win. You're much stronger than I am–both in terms of physique and your Tk."

Vasic spoke. "James' psychic strength has little to do with it, because he adapts to your amount of power."

Hailey shrugged. "That doesn't take away the fact that he's way more experienced than I am." Even though she could tell her movements were faster and her reaction time was quicker than before she'd leaned hand-to-hand combat techniques, she still was as dangerous as a fluffy hamster in comparison to James.

Vasic shook his head. "When you pull back after your punch, your balance is off. It's why he was able to move past you and take you by surprise. Your mind is preoccupied with regaining balance, so you let your guard down."

James' blank face looked a little too smug to Hailey's taste. She held her hands up in a defensive stance and smiled at him, all teeth. "Game on."

James inclined his head as he felt her determination pulse through their bond. How he loved seeing Hailey's light, loved to watch her move so effortlessly now she was effectively using her Tk. It was like watching her dance, her body fluid with a graceful rhythm that was a tribute to the music intertwined to her soul.

Yes, it wore her down. He could tell by the way she was breathing harshly and the perspiration on her skin. But there was no way she would let him win without trying. He felt an unknown emotion expand his chest as he shot Vasic a look.

The other Arrow stood with Ivy leaning against him, his arm wrapped possessively around her.

_That's what Hailey should have. _

It was what he wanted to have with her. A place of their own, a life together with this powerful, beautiful woman at his side. James suddenly found the name to the emotion he'd felt when looking at Hailey.

_Pride._

Of course he was proud of her, of the strong survivor she was after all her hardships. Time and time again she proved she was the one for him, even though she didn't fit entirely into his world.

"…_the decisions you're making, it can't be worth the price it costs you."_

James wasn't sure anymore. His world had shifted the day he'd met Hailey. That meeting had set in motion a chain of events he hadn't seen coming –which was odd, given the criticality of it. And somewhere in the back of his mind he'd always known he couldn't have her and continue his work for the Squad as he did now. But, as Vasic, Aden and Abbot proved, that wasn't necessarily problematic.

James shut down his thoughts when Ivy counted down. He blocked Hailey's first series of punches when she lunged at him. Locking his hands around her wrist and twisting them behind her back, he felt the need to crowd her again, hold her close. But she spun around and he let go, not wanting to strain her arms.

Standing a couple of feet from each other again, Hailey stood perfectly still and waited for an opportunity, an opening. James decided to give her one as he charged, but at that exact moment she sent him a telepathic picture.

Of her. In black lingerie.

Something snapped in his brain, and he shot out a burst of Tk into the sky, causing clouds to disburse and make contact, the loud rumble of thunder filled the scenic peacefulness of the orchard. James felt a tap against his ribs and realized Hailey had used his tactic against him.

Standing up straight, he stepped back. "You mentioned cheating?"

Her laughter resonated in his mind, the warmth of it seeping into his soul and filling him with light. He felt lighter by their interaction and noticed he'd never experienced her happiness this intense before. It wasn't carried through the air and pushing against his skin, but expanded from within.

_Of course. Their bond. _

Hailey's head tilted sideways, tendrils of dark hair escaping the messy bun she'd tied it in, her cheeks flushed from exertion. Her eyes seemed to glow at him, jade and gold sparking as she smiled. James watched her blow out a breath and shake her arms moments later, noting that she was using a lot of physical and psychic energy.

_Do you have nutrient drinks here? _James asked Vasic.

Ivy was the one to reply, her telepathic knock the gentlest James had ever experienced. _I'll fix you one when you guys are done._

"Ready?" Hailey asked him.

James inclined his head. _Always for you._

Her features softened as her eyes switched to that deep, warm brown. Hailey shot Ivy a look and the empath grinned as she counted down again. When Hailey jumped forward this time, James felt a_ pull_ inside of him as he moved forward, then something snapped taut in his mind.

Hailey crouched to dodge his punches and rose to kick at him. The instance Hailey had started running, James registered she moved with far more speed than he'd ever seen, and he crouched down to avoid a blow to his chest. Hailey pivoted around her axis, moving away from the combination of his punches, and swiped her leg against his feet. He barely leaped out of her way in time.

Frowning, James summoned a little more Tk, but it felt strained.

_Hailey, what are you doing?_

_I'm not sure, _her telepathic voice crystal clear in his mind. She didn't stop moving as she clasped his elbow and turned to twist it behind his back, her other hand on his chest. He quickly grabbed her forearm and pulled her closer, both locked into the others' hold.

When she tipped up her head, her eyes were glowing jade, but for the azure blue ring around her irises.

Hailey gasped. "Your eyes!" She lifted her hands to cup his face and study them.

Alarmed, James stepped onto the psychic plane without releasing his hold on her arm. What he saw amazed him so much, he snapped back to Hailey. "You're using me as a conductor."

She shook her head. "I don't know what I did. I just… reached for you."

_Yes._

He could feel their connection pulsing, his control encasing her abilities to the point where they shared his Tk.

_This should be impossible_, he told his mate.

Hailey shook her head. "You've said that before." She rose on tiptoe to look at his eyes even closer, their noses almost touching. "The gold is dimming," she mumbled.

"How are you doing that?" Ivy's curious voice snapped both of them to attention.

"What do you mean?" Hailey asked as she released him and turned towards the empath.

Ivy stepped closer, her eyes black and sparking with streams of color, an indication of her using a large amount of power. "I know you guys can communicate telepathically and Vasic told me about your bond in the Net," her voice was surprised as the blackness of her eyes faded. "But I've never experienced something like this before. It's like you were completely in sync with each other for a moment."

Hailey looked from Ivy to him. He noticed her eyes were lacking the blue rings now, deep brown with jade flecks instead. The color had receded the moment her concentration had been interrupted.

"This is it," he said.

Hailey frowned, a puzzled look on her face.

"This is a part of your ability. I was wrong, you don't simply drain." James looked at Vasic. "Do you know of other cases where abilities work in tandem with each other?"

Vasic nodded. "Judd is able to do it. He told me he acts as a power source for Sasha to tap into." He gave a faint smile. "And you know about Aden."

Hailey raised her eyebrows. "What am I missing here?"

Ivy looked at James. "You think Hailey doesn't just drain, but that she's able to conduct the ability she's drained through you?"

He nodded. "Yes. We shared the sum of our combined Tk for an instance." He turned to Hailey. "It made you stronger and weakened me. Your telepathy was amplified as well." Because even though his telepathy was weak, Hailey's telepathy was close to nonexistent.

Hailey seemed to think about that and tilted her head. "Do you think when I absorb someone else's power, you'll be able to use it as well?"

"Yes, but only because we're mated now." The way her ability had shuddered through their connection left no room for arguments on that point. _Besides that, I think my control helps with the sudden outburst_, he added.

Hailey bit her lower lip. "There's only one way to test your hypotheses." She met his gaze, her eyes dark as he felt her insecurity flow through their bond. _You know what happened last time._

He reached out and brushed his knuckles over her cheek, slamming down the instant rejection his protective instincts incited.

Ivy was right. He couldn't smother Hailey or she would never be able to gain control. But if she was able to use him, use his control to guide her, he would be able to divert the extreme blow she experienced when she drained someone.

Or so he hoped.

_You're not alone. I'll be with you all the way. _

She gave him a small smile and turned to Ivy and Vasic. "Okay. So how do we test this?"

"You'll need someone that won't have to use their abilities this exact moment." Ivy said as she looked at him. "How long did it take for your abilities to re-emerge?"

"I'm not sure," he answered. Because he'd been unconscious after Hailey's power boost, his Tk had been back to normal levels when he'd woken up. That had taken a substantial amount of time. "Anywhere between immediately when Hailey stops to six hours after that."

"That eliminates the possibility of teleporting," Hailey crossed her arms in front of her chest as she looked at Vasic. "You can't be out of the running for such a long time if there's an emergency." She looked at Ivy. "And I'm not sure if channeling your abilities could be harmful. I'd hate to drown you all in endless misery without having an instant solution how to stop it."

"You could ask one of the Arrows off shift," Ivy opted.

James thought about that option as he mentally selected a number of Arrows whose abilities would be relativity 'safe' for them to experiment with.

"Isobel," Hailey said softly. He looked down at her pensive face.

"She's a high Gradient Tp with secondary E-abilities," Vasic clarified to Ivy.

James watched Hailey untie her hair and run her hands through the dark mass. "Even if she's willing to be our guinea pig, I don't know if she's off shift right now," she said before looking at Vasic. "And I think we should go to an isolated area if we try this."

Vasic and Ivy shared eye contact before Vasic teleported.

"I need a minute," Hailey said, her posture stark and fists clenched as she walked away.

"She's scared." Worry on Ivy's face. "Maybe we should give her some time to think about it."

James watched Hailey walk through the trees of the orchard. "You know why she feels that way."

Ivy glanced sideways. "I don't know if this is a good idea if it will lead to another bad experience. She's already hurting enough from everything that's happened the past months."

When James arched his eyebrow, Ivy shrugged. "We talked." She rubbed her hands over her face, black curls tumbling over her hands. She pushed them back before facing him. "This is either a brilliant idea that empowers her, or it's going to scar her."

"You chastised me for protecting her." James studied Ivy's expression when she scowled and wondered if Vasic was experiencing the same struggles as he was in his relationship with Hailey.

"Yes, you can't put her in a cage for the rest of her life, but this is a very extreme form of exposure."

James shook his head. "There's no other way." He looked up when he saw Hailey walk back in their direction. "It's her choice."

Ivy's face was still a mask of worry as she sighed. "I'll prepare some nutrient drinks."

Hailey watched Ivy walk away from James before her Arrow strode towards her, his movements holding a lethal edge.

She tried to hide her shaking hands but belatedly realized that James would be able to sense her true feelings through their bond. She walked towards him and met him in the middle. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Taking deep breaths, she let James' steady heartbeat and scent calm her.

He held her tightly, his mind touching hers. _Do you want to do this?_

Hailey sighed, the smell oak moss and sandalwood consoling, alleviating her tension. "I have to." She tipped up her head, deep blue eyes staring back at her. "I need to know what this thing is inside of me. I need it to be something that doesn't only destroy." She smiled shakily. "For the first time since it blasted out, my ability felt like something that could be _good_."

Hailey saw Vasic appear with Isobel at his side as Ivy returned with a tray filled with nutrient drinks. Hailey waved to Isobel before returning her attention to James.

He cupped her face. _Don't doubt yourself. You _can_ do it if you focus. I'm here with you. _He stroked his thumb over her cheek. _And if you feel it snapping out of control, don't panic_, he added, reminding her of their earlier conversation.

She snorted and rose on tiptoe to kiss him. _Terrible man. _She pulled back a little, his presence making her feel complete. "Thank you." She brushed her lips over his again. _Together._

He cupped her jaw. _Forever._

She took his hand in hers and tugged him along to the others. _Don't be rash. Still haven't seen a ring yet._

Twenty minutes later, Hailey, James, Isobel and Ivy stood on a dune in the middle of the desert where Vasic had teleported them to. They'd explained the situation to Isobel, who had agreed to participate in the experiment and was currently speaking to Ivy. Hailey felt her nerves rising, since Aden and Zaira had decided to tag along with the party. They had just arrived after Vasic had gone to retrieve them from the valley.

_Great. A couple more people to watch you fall flat on your face. _

She grimaced as she followed James and Isobel down the dune, her feet sliding away in the soft sand. She'd already warned the group that things might go wrong, but they all seemed relatively unworried about the probability of her harming them if she was able to drain Isobel's telepathy.

Zaira had looked straight at her and had said, "You won't be stronger than I am. I'll be able to incapacitate you." Zaira's expression had been deadpan, though her matter-of-fact tone did make Hailey feel a little better. Zaira wouldn't let her hurt anyone.

Blowing out a breath, Hailey faced James and Isobel.

_Come on, Hales. You've got this._

"Okay," she looked at Isobel. "Are you ready?"

Isobel nodded. "It's going to be fine, Hailey."

Hailey gave Isobel a tight smile and closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply.

She'd never tried to voluntarily summon her ability and wasn't even sure if it would work. During her sparring match with James it just kind of happened. She'd been so focused on him, closing down the world around them, that the moment when she charged him, she'd sensed his psychic presence and had reached for it with her own. Then something had pulled taut inside of her, causing a shift in her mind. All of a sudden, she'd been faster and more powerful with every move she'd made.

Hailey tried to clear her mind and focus her negligible telepathy to 'feel' Isobel's energy. She could distinguish Isobel's psychic presence from James'. It felt softer, gentler, yet strong.

Inhaling, she _reached_ for Isobel. Something built up inside her chest. She opened her eyes and locked eyes with Isobel; soft blue stared back at her.

Exhaling, Hailey mentally tried to grasp the energy she could feel while clutching to the connection between her and James. Minutes passed as sweat beaded down Hailey's temples. The built-up tension in her chest faded, a flickering candle blown out, its smoke a taunting circle in Hailey's mind.

Letting out a frustrated breath, Hailey spun around and walked a few steps away from Isobel and James. "Damn it, it's not working."

She thrust her hand through her hair and looked at the group of people on top of the dune, silently watching them. She turned around to find James observing her, a small frown on his face.

Shaking the tension off by rolling her head sideways and flicking her hands, Hailey joined James and Isobel again in their small triangle.

_Breathe, Hailey. _James' deep, dark voice her trusted anchor.

Something clicked in her mind.

_Trust._

She trusted James, even after he'd left. But since the moment she'd lashed out at Gordon for hurting her, she hadn't trusted, hadn't believed in _herself._

_That's the key_, Hailey thought to herself. _Get yourself together and believe in yourself, believe in the endless possibilities only you can create. _

She tilted her head into James' direction, staring in beautiful azure. "I get to choose."

His eyes narrowed. _Yes. _

Nodding, she turned towards Isobel. "I'm going to try again," she said.

Isobel inclined her head. Hailey took a deep breath and searched for Isobel's energy again. She detected Isobel's presence faster this time, the pattern of Isobel's psychic power now familiar to Hailey.

Centering herself, Hailey intensified her awareness of Isobel. She gathered her strength and concentrated on what she wanted. Hailey exhaled and closed her eyes.

_There._

She felt the unique form of Isobel's psychic being, psychically touching Isobel's strength. Hailey reached out and tried to seize it. For a moment, she felt a flow of energy vibrate through her mind, causing a ripple inside her body from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes. Gasping, she opened her eyes and felt the energy slip away.

_Try it again_, James' voice in her head. _Concentrate._

Gritting her teeth against the strain in her mind, Hailey reached out again. Isobel's eyes widened a fraction when Hailey grabbed hold of her psychic presence. Not giving herself the time to doubt, to overthink, she captured Isobel's power and _pulled_.

A sudden burst of voices rang through Hailey's head, the amplification of every thought that crashed into her almost unbearable. She gulped in a breath.

Even though they were removed from the crowded world, Isobel's ability was apparently powerful enough to cover a large distance. And at that large distance, there were people.

A lot of people.

The weight of the voices seemed to crush her, to push her down until she crumpled. The pressure inside her head caused her brain to throb. Her jaw clenched painfully hard, the tendons of her neck rigid. Trembling, Hailey grimaced as she tried to process the intensity of Isobel's telepathy. Warm hands clasped her face, a murmur almost inaudible to her. She panted as the screeching echoes kept battering within her head.

"Hailey, do it, _now_."

The command made Hailey snap up her head, deep azure eyes ringed with midnight Prussian staring at her. She arched back her head when another burst of noise shot through her head, making her see stars. Heart crashing against her ribs, she grabbed hold of James' upper arms.

When she thought the weight of the psychic impact would pull her under, Hailey squeezed her eyes shut to find a blazing star in the darkness, reaching out to her. She took hold of him.

Suddenly, the noise stopped, as if someone had put earplugs in her ears to cancel out the sound. In the silence she only heard her own harsh breaths, heaving as her hands clenched on muscled arms. Her eyes focused on the man that was holding her.

James' jaw a tight line, he watched her quietly, gold sparks in his azure eyes. Hailey could _feel_ something foreign pulsing within the walls of her mind, _feel _the sheer power of it.

"It's working," Hailey whispered. She tipped up her head to the top of the dune. _Zaira._

The fierce Arrow tilted her head a little.

Hailey shook her head. _Right. Same building, different floor. _

Zaira was probably hearing an echo rather than her actual message, since Hailey had no idea what she was doing. Her telepathic contact with James had appeared from nowhere but it had proven to be built on foundations of an emotional connection rather than through telepathy.

James' voice drew her attention as he stood up straight. "Try adjusting your frequency to align it with them," the strain in his voice noticeable. Hailey released his arms, realizing this was tough on him as well.

She nodded and closed her eyes again. As she focused, Hailey thought of a song she loved and mentally ran through each note, while trying to _feel_ the right layer of psychic communication she had to tap into. She clasped onto James' hand and felt something shift inside her mind_._

"Hailey!" Hailey's head lifted; Ivy's voice filled with wonder. "You're doing it!"

Aden, Zaira, Vasic and Ivy were all looking at her. Zaira's features softened in a way Hailey had never seen before. Aden's eyes gleamed. Vasic angled his head to Ivy, smiling at his wife in such a loving way, it made Hailey's heart clench.

Sweat beaded down her spine as she sent the final piece of the song. When it was finally finished, Hailey looked at James. "What now?"

His lips twitched a little, a fine layer of perspiration on his forehead. "Focus on what you want."

Hailey nodded. "Okay." She looked at Isobel, who was watching them quietly. "Ready?"

Isobel nodded, surprise in her eyes.

Hailey centered herself again, zeroed in every thought on her wish. _I want to let this go. _

Inhaling, she reached for James through their bond. She released her mental hold on the pulsing power in her head. Exhaling, Hailey tried to completely relax her body, as if to let the telepathy slide off somehow.

The snap in her head caused a moment of darkness in front of her eyes. Hissing out a breath, Hailey released her hold on James and wiped the sweat from her nose before resting her hands on her thighs. Drawing in a deep breath, she looked up at Isobel, who was staring at her with big eyes.

"How are you?" she asked the gentle Arrow in front of her.

Isobel shook her head a little. "It was such a strange sensation. I tried telepathing, but it was as if everything was out of my reach." She shook her head again. "I could feel you pull it away from me and I could feel it shifting back. It wasn't painful, yet it was a very odd experience."

Hailey rose and placed her hands against her heated cheeks. "That's good, right?" She frowned. "Can you use your Tp now?"

Isobel turned her head towards the small group on top of the dune, then returned her attention to Hailey. "Yes, but it's as if I'm close to flaming out."

Hailey placed her hand on Isobel's arm. "Thank you so much. This was extremely helpful."

Isobel smiled. "I'm glad I could help. Hopefully it gives you a little more insight."

Hailey smiled back; her head heavy but her heart excited. "More than you know."

Vasic teleported them back to New York later that evening, after discussing the events that had passed today. James and Vasic had devised a plan together with the security team, which Hailey had agreed to.

Since they didn't know when the events of the visions would hit off, James told Hailey they would go out at nights, under the watchful eyes of the security team. Because James would be with her at all times, it wouldn't make her a sitting duck. It would appear like they were doing regular couple things while he was hunting for the attackers.

James still hated the idea of Hailey being in a position of vulnerability, but Hailey had told him they didn't have a choice. She wouldn't allow him to request a teleport to another location and she wasn't planning on staying secluded to her apartment because of some assholes trying to get to her. Like she'd told Ivy: this wasn't something she could–nor wanted to–run and hide from for the rest of her life.

Hailey swayed on her legs when they entered her apartment and she braced herself against the sofa. After using her ability she'd been famished, and James had nearly force-fed her four nutrition bars and two glasses of nutrient drink to refuel.

James shot her a look, his irritation visible. "You need to rest." He'd already been agitated because she had wanted to retrieve her car instead of teleporting directly to her apartment, before some eager homeless Psy would claim it as a nice condo. His reply had been that he'd buy her a new one, but after she'd threatened to retrieve it herself at night when he was sleeping, he'd requested Vasic to drop them off at the extraction point.

Hailey rolled her eyes at him, eager to go out together tonight. "I'm fi– Ah!" James scooped her up in his arms and cradled her against his chest. Hailey decided not to chastise him for it as he walked towards the bedroom and gently placed her on the bed.

_Well, that probably means no date night tonight, then, _a sulking voice in her mind said. She arched her eyebrow at her mate. "Am I allowed to change clothes?"

James said nothing as she started undressing. She saw heat flash in his eyes when she took off her bra, wearing only her panties. Licking her suddenly dry lips, Hailey dropped the garment to the floor. She met his gaze and felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

"No." James' voice was steel as he walked over to her dresser and threw her an oversized band t-shirt, the fabric soft from years of use.

Hailey pouted. "Fine," she slid the shirt over her head and fell back on the bed, her body and mind spent. James walked over and sat down on the bed, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. She leaned into the caress before grabbing his wrist and pulling him down next to her.

"You need to sleep," the tone of his voice softer now.

"Will you stay with me?" Hailey felt the need for his closeness grow with every day they spent together. A part was due to the fact that his departure was still very fresh in her memory. Another part was the way James made her feel.

_Safe. Loved._

Heart swelling at that thought, she studied the contours of his face as she stroked the tips of her fingers over his jaw. His eyes narrowed.

Hailey bit back a smile. "You're no fun, but alright." She raised her fist, holding up her index and middle finger. "I solemnly pledge there will be no naked punishment tonight." She inched closer as she brushed her lips against his jaw. "I just want you to hold me," she whispered.

"Arrow training never prepared me for small, persistent women." He stood up and undressed.

Hailey sighed and enjoyed watching his beautiful body in motion as he placed his combat boots next to the bed and stripped until he was only wearing his boxer briefs. She felt a blush creep up her face at the sight of him. _I still can't believe you're all mine._

He arched his eyebrow. _If you call me pretty again, I'll have to punish you more elaborately._

Hailey laughed, jolts of happiness sparking through her body. "Oh, I'm so scared," she mock shivered. The corner of James' mouth tugged, making him even more handsome. Hailey melted at the sight of him.

James crouched over her and she leaned back in the mattress, her heart thudding in her chest. He closed the distance between them until his lips were only a hairsbreadth apart from hers. "Careful, my Siren. I think," his voice a mummer, "I know the proper punishment for your indiscretions."

Hailey stroked her hands through his hair. "You do?" her voice a breathless whisper.

"Yes," his lips brushed hers softly. "Sleep." He slid over to the empty side of the bed.

Snorting, Hailey turned to face him and bit his lower lip. "Fine," her tone grumpy as she moved so his chest pressed against her back. "Thank you for your help today." She lifted her head so he could place his arm underneath it and glanced over her shoulder. "And thank you for letting me do it."

James held her close, his arm around her waist. "It was your decision to make."

"I know." She closed her eyes as she enjoyed his scent all around her, her head heavy and body tired. _But I know it's difficult for you. _

_ Don't thank me yet. We're training tomorrow, starting at dawn._

Hailey smiled. _Of course we are. _She drifted off with her Arrow close in her bed and heart.


	36. Chapter 34

34

"Ah!" Hailey tried to turn as she fell backward, but she was already dropping when James' Tk encased her, lowering her to the ground. She groaned when she got up. "You still haven't changed when it comes down to training," she muttered as she rubbed the sleeve of her shirt over her sweat-damp temples as she peered over the edge of her apartment building.

James had found an entrance to the rooftop and had decided it would suffice to train here, where she was under constant protection. Hailey still felt uneasy at the idea of all those Arrows just standing around and watching her all day, but she'd decided to let her reservations slip since it made James feel more at ease. Aside from that, she wasn't sure he wouldn't do anything stupid if she'd counter him–like tie her down in a chair or have her teleported to a remote island.

She looked at his silhouette, sunlight bright behind him, making him look like a dark angel. Hailey smiled at that thought. "Okay, pretty man. Let's go at it one more time before I need to go see Morgan and Shane." She'd messaged Shane she'd be at the hospital before noon.

James was on her in a heartbeat, his arm locked around her throat and his hand on her hip. _Your insults are getting worse. _

Hailey pushed herself against him, stroking her hand up and down his forearm. "Insult?" she pretended to gasp. "I'm just vocalizing the popular opinion of your beautiful appearance." She jerked when he sank his teeth in her neck, chastising her for her teasing.

"According to who?" The seducing whisper of words in his low, whiskey-cream dipped voice made her shudder.

Hailey ran her fingers over his fist, his arm still caging her closely to his body. "According to every person that seems to be in awe of you when they see you," Hailey said while rubbing herself against him. "Well, when you don't scare the shit out of them, that is."

She felt his body responding immediately, his muscles taut and his breathing turning sharper. _Maybe you should make good on your promise, _she said_, otherwise I'll never take you seriously again._

When his hand slid from her hip to her breast, Hailey gasped true this time. "Not here!" she exclaimed while fighting the urge to encourage him.

The protective detail was still keeping a close eye on her apartment and the nearby streets. Chances were high someone was looking at them right this instant. Hailey had no problems with public displays of affection but this was taking it a step too far.

James' voice was filled with possession, deep and dark in her mind as he squeezed her needy flesh. _Which parts of our interaction ever led you to believe I'd share the intimate sight of you with anyone?_

Hailey then saw the air around them luster, felt the pulse of his energy encasing them, shielding them from the world. "Did you just turn us invisible?"

When she wanted to reach out and touch the translucent shield, James held her back and bit her earlobe. "I intend to keep my promise."

She felt herself grow damp at the lust that resonated through their bond. "Are you?" her voice husky. "I'm beginning to think you're all talk and no action."

He bit her shoulder and pinched her nipple through her layers of clothing. "Careful," his voice dark with promise. "You might not like what you get."

"_Tu fais le pari?" _she asked him in his native tongue as she looked up.

"_Avec beaucoup de plaisir," _he said with a small smile, telling her he'd be more than happy to challenge her, "_embrasse-moi et tu verras_."

Hailey glared at him from under narrowed eyelids. "Kiss you and I'll find out? That's not threatening at all."

_Tu seras toujours en sécurité avec moi, ma moitié,_ he answered in her mind, and Hailey's heart radiated inside her chest at James' endearment.

My other half. My better half.

"You'll always be safe with me," he repeated softly in English, his lips on her cheek. And there, in that moment, the purest sense of belonging descended on Hailey, a sigh of absolute, unconditional love rippling back and forth through their connection.

_Tu tiens mon coeur dans tes grandes mains_, she whispered as she leaned back to kiss him, accepting his dare, accepting and loving all of him.

"Big hands?" he asked when he drew back, laughter lighting the shade of sun-drenched oceans of his eyes.

"Yes," she said with a grin. "Large enough to hold my heart." She placed her hand flat against his, before weaving her fingers through his and tugging him close for another kiss.

When James lifted his head again, Hailey withdrew her hand… and took advantage of the opportunity while James was distracted. She grabbed hold of the arm in front of her throat and quickly bent forward, using her Tk to lift him over her, and thrust him onto the roof. James spun mid-air and twisted her, making her land on her back with him crouched upside down over her.

"You're getting more resourceful," his tone even and his face blank, but for the gleam in his eyes.

Hailey couldn't help but sulk a little. "And still I can't beat you."

He stood up and lifted her with his Tk. Hailey rose on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. "Let's go take a shower." She ran her teeth over his lower lip.

James shook his head. "You go first. I need to check in with the security team."

Hailey pulled a face and released him. After she walked down to her apartment, she quickly rinsed off and put on some jeans and a deep red blouse. She was just brushing her hair when James returned. His face looked grim, gold skin pulled taut over his cheekbones.

Hailey frowned. "What's wrong?" She placed the brush on her nightstand and walked over to James, splaying her hands on his chest.

"The security team tracked down a man that was watching the apartment building."

Hailey felt her heart jump, a shiver running across her spine. "And?"

"And he seems to have been observing you for several months. They found a datacrystal at his residence filled with intel on you. Mostly pictures, but also several notes on your daily routines."

Hailey inhaled a shaky breath. "Jesus." She stared unseeingly at the solid wall of James' chest. James stroked his hands up and down her back, but his movements felt a little jerky. It shook him as much as her.

"Did they take him in?" She blinked a couple of times to help the rush of thoughts in her mind pass before meeting his gaze.

James' eyes were hard. "Yes. I'm going in to question him now."

Just when Hailey wanted to shake her head, her phone beeped. She took the device from the nightstand. "It's Shane," she muttered as she answered the device.

"Hailey?" Shane's distinctive raspy voice sounded thick with emotion. Hailey froze. He wasn't even calling her Witch.

"Shane? Is it…?" She couldn't bear to think the inevitable had happened. "Is Morgan okay?"

Shane cleared his throat. "No, Hales. He's getting worse. I don't–" his voice cut off and Hailey's heart tore apart.

"I'll be right there," she shot James a narrow-eyed look from under her eyelashes when he gave her a hard stare. "I'm coming over right now."

When she hung up the phone, James' hands were white-bracketed fists beside his body, the air sparking with violent energy. "You can't leave now, not with the threat so close."

Hailey defiantly stuck out her chin when she tipped up her head to face him. "Then come with me." She thrust her hands through her hair. "I don't care if you take the entire freaking Squad to guard the hospital, but I can't stay here, not when Shane needs me." She reached out to cup his cheek. "Please, I have to be there for him."

When James didn't respond, Hailey didn't hesitate. She pulled him close, their noses almost touching. "I'll be fine if you're with me, but we need to go, _right now_."

The azure in his eyes covered in shadows, he nodded so slightly, Hailey almost missed it. She quickly kissed him and ran towards the hallway to put on her shoes.

Ten minutes later, they were at the hospital. Hailey saw two Arrows standing in front of the hospital entrance, hands clasped behind their backs and their posture straight. They inclined their heads to her and James when they entered the building.

James had ignored every traffic sign and sped through traffic; his hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel. Hailey knew how hard it was for him, could feel the conflicting emotions tearing through him, but she couldn't leave her friend alone when he needed her the most.

When they reached the right floor, she placed her hand on his arm. _Wait for me._

She met his icy glare and knew he wouldn't budge on this. Sighing, Hailey ran over to where Shane was waiting for her outside of Morgan's room.

Shane looked up and Hailey saw his eyes flash when he spotted James. "What the fuck is he doing here?" Shane's voice a growl.

Hailey understood Shane's need to unleash his emotions but didn't want to fight him now he was in such a dark place. He needed her to be here for him, so she would. She reached out to put her hand on his shoulder, but Shane grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind his big body.

"Shane!" Hailey pushed at his back. "Stop this, you have other things to worry about right now!"

He gave her an angry look over his shoulder before returning his attention to James, who was standing in the middle of the corridor.

"Have you got any idea what you've done to her?" Shane growled as he stepped forward and swung out.

James looked utterly unimpressed by Shane's angry outburst and stopped the punch by use of his Tk. Shane's hand froze inches in front of James' face.

Hailey's hand covered her forehead, an instant headache appearing at the shit show that was playing out right in front of her. _Don't hurt him!_

James' eyes flashed to her before looking at Shane again. "I know," his voice was coated in ice. James released his telekinetic hold on Shane. "If you want to fight, we'll do it another time."

Hailey scowled and stepped in between both men, cupping Shane's face. "Shane, we–"

A frantic beep from Morgan's room made Hailey freeze.

Shane's eyes were big with fear when he looked at her. He jerked and Hailey released him, following him into the hospital room. The sound of blood roared through her ears, adding to the alarm that was still pulsing.

Hailey clasped her hand in front of her mouth when she saw Morgan convulsing, his body violently shaking under the strength of the seizure. Shane slammed on the red emergency button next to the bed.

"Morgan! Hang in there!" His voice was hoarse as tears filled his eyes. Shane grabbed hold of Morgan's head to steady him. "Don't you fucking dare to leave me! I need you!"

Heart slamming inside her chest, Hailey moved towards the bed and placed one hand on Morgan's forehead, the other on Shane's shoulder.

_Please, _her telepathic voice a plea, _please don't go. Please don't give up. _She stepped onto the psychic plane to search for Morgan but belatedly realized she wasn't able to reach the ShadowNet yet, hadn't figured out how to shield herself properly in order for James to let his shields down.

Frustration, fear and anger collided inside her. Was this it? Was Morgan going to die from a mysterious incurable disease no one could heal?

_It can't be._

As she watched Morgan convulsing, she knew they couldn't will him back to health, couldn't make him stay if he was ready to go.

Every cell in her body rejected that idea. _He's too young, he can't be ready to go yet!_

But he was fading in front of them and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Morgan stopped convulsing and a high, penetrating beep screeched through the silence. Hailey felt her heart race at the finality that beep insinuated.

_No, no, no!_

_Hailey. _James' blade of a voice sliced through her panic. _You need to act fast._

She swiveled around to face James while medics rushed in and pushed her and Shane aside to aid Morgan. James was staring intently at Morgan, his mouth bracketed with white lines and his face grim.

"What are you talking about?" her voice was thick as she glimpsed at Shane who stood immobilized next to her, his face pale and fists clenched.

"The boy," James was still staring at the bed where the medics were frantically examining Morgan, checking his pupil responses and calling out terms she didn't understand. "He's going to die if you don't drain him."

Hailey went motionless and saw Shane jerk. "What?"

_Precognition_, he explained shortly._ I_ know. _Drain him right now. _He cupped her face, his blue eyes blazing. _Listen to me. He's going to die if you don't focus right now. Everything the medics will do to try and save him will be the death of him. _

Ice in her veins, Hailey jerked and turned around to the bed. _Okay._ She moved to put her hand over Morgan's forehead again and closed her eyes.

"Miss, you need to move," a voice next to her while a small hand clenched around her arm. "We need to take him to surgery."

"No," James' voice was steel as he placed his hands on her shoulders. _Do__ it. _The small hand released her.

Hailey tried to concentrate, inhaled a deep breath and searched for Morgan's psychic presence, but she got too distracted when the medics started telling James to leave the room. James turned to the medical staff. "She needs to do this. It's the only way to save him."

Her head snapped up at Shane's panicked voice. "Are you fucking insane?!" Shane pushed at James, who didn't move an inch. "Hailey!"

She reached out to grab Shane's wrist while keeping her other hand on Morgan's forehead, attempting to amplify her psychic connection by use of physical contact. "Shut up and listen to what he's saying!" she snapped.

"Miss, Sir, I'm calling for security right now," one of the medics intervened with a stern voice.

Everything in the room shuddered at the unleashing of Hailey's Tk, her emotions too violent to rein in her control. The medical staff froze and stared at her. She ignored them and directed her attention to her friend.

"Shane, please!" she said, while letting go of his wrist, on the verge of breaking down but able to keep it together with the flicker of hope James had offered. "_Please_ trust me."

Hopelessness in Shane's deep green eyes, flashing from her to his brother and back again. His voice was trembling when he spoke. "You know I do, but he's my baby brother…" The pain resonated in his rasped-out words made Hailey's skin pebble.

"That's why you need to step back _now_," the ice-cold command apparent in James' voice, Hailey saw the blood drain from the faces of the medical staff.

When Shane looked at James as if he wanted to punch him again, James released Hailey and placed his hand on Shane's shoulder. That seemed to surprise Shane enough to momentarily snap out of his anger, while James telepathically shot her a message.

_Now, Hailey, or it might be too late. _

Hailey didn't waste another second and closed her eyes, reaching out to the boy who was lying silently in the hospital bed, his skin turning cold.

_No._

Resolve filled her heart when she found a tiny flickering pulse of energy. She nearly sobbed when she encased Morgan's psychic presence, reached out to him and _pulled. _A small vibration in her soul, the light nearly dimming entirely.

Another beep, this one sounding like a panicked alarm.

"Jesus, Hailey!" Aware of Shane's internal conflict, Hailey trusted James to deal with him while she released a breath and centered herself. She found Morgan's presence again, but he was weak.

_So weak and so tired._

Growling, Hailey tapped into every ounce of power inside her and grasped for his presence once more, latching onto Morgan while he was fading right in front of her.

She heard rustling sounds and a deep, low voice speaking, but shut off her thoughts and reached out, _pulling_ away the abilities attached to Morgan's core. A blinding snap in her mind was the indication of the connection made. This time Hailey didn't hesitate and found the familiar link to her Arrow.

The quake of emotions was a vicious tidal wave inside her. Something fractured the walls of her soul violently, like she had been struck by lightning. Gasping, Hailey fell to her knees.

_The pain. The brute, agonizing, constant pain. _

She tried to hold on to the connection with James but felt herself spiraling.

Big hands cupped her face, blue eyes slammed into hers, pushing through the pain and darkness. Hailey's eyes flashed to Shane, and immediately she was struck down by stabs of hurt, fear, anger, worry…

Whimpering, Hailey gritted her teeth and tried to breathe through the pain.

"Jesus," a raspy voice behind James. "Jesus, what did she do?"

As soon as the shrill beep had stopped, the medics had started moving to take in Morgan's condition. James felt Hailey's ability emerge, felt it pulsing through their connection, but also noticed he couldn't rein in the foreign ability she'd grasped.

She wasn't connecting to him properly.

"She took away his ability, the one that is killing him." James returned his attention to Hailey, his hands gently holding up her head.

Her eyes were blazing jade but lacked the blue rings, a sign James believed to be the validation of them sharing the power she was absorbing. Hailey had told him his eyes had sparked gold at the moment they'd connected.

James could feel her trying to hold onto their connection, to share the impact of the abilities that were tearing her mind apart, but it was like she was slipping every time she reached for him.

_Hailey. _

Jade eyes snapped up at him, luminescent and filled with tears. "He felt it all," her voice was a shattered whisper. "He felt it all and healed them until he couldn't do it anymore." She let out a small cry as her body went rigid and her pupils constricted at the hurt that vibrated through their connection.

James followed her gaze to where Shane stood, crying over the body of his younger brother. His heart thudded heavily inside his chest.

They were too late.

The precognition had hit James as soon as he saw Morgan. It was only then he realized he'd never actually seen the boy, had only come as far as the corridor of Morgan's floor. But the visual of the sick, young boy had triggered James' foresight. Yet, even though he'd seen the solution Hailey had been able to provide, it hadn't been enough. The boy had weakened too much for them to help.

Hailey would be devastated. She'd tried, but James knew that sometimes even the clearest vision wasn't enough to change the outcome of an event. The frustration and anger that came accompanied with that knowledge was something James was familiar with.

He understood that having F-abilities would take a higher toll now that he'd broken Silence. He was also aware of the pain it would inflict on Hailey if she'd go through it together with him.

Shane stirred, causing James to look up at the dark-haired male. When Shane lifted a little, James saw they _hadn't_ been too late. Tired, sunken, deep green eyes looked in their direction.

Wonder bloomed in James' heart, replacing the heavy feeling.

_You did it. _

But when he looked down at Hailey, gasping with every wave of agony that passed through her, he was painstakingly reminded of the price she had to pay.

"Morgan." Hailey's shaky voice was filled with relief at the sight of the young boy groggily staring back at her.

When Shane jerked and looked at her, Hailey grimaced and bent her head forward, locks of her hair falling in front of her face, brushing the floor.

"I'm going to pass out, it's too much." The words were a hoarse groan as she gulped in deep breaths.

James lifted her in his arms and placed her on the small sofa in the back of the room. _You're safe. I'll be right here._

Her back arched as she processed another burst of whatever she was experiencing, her telepathic voice a dull echo in his mind. _I know, love._

When her body slumped, he lifted her and sat down on the sofa himself, holding Hailey against his chest as the most precious cargo.

"What the hell just happened?"

One of the medics–a short, blond male–walked over to James, peering curiously at Hailey. "Whatever she did, we weren't able to do for weeks. His vitals seem more stable than they have been since the day he's been admitted." He glanced at the bed where Morgan was lying.

James gritted his teeth at the way the doctor was addressing Hailey, as if she were a useful tool he could benefit from. This was exactly why he'd been worried about Hailey revealing herself on the PsyNet.

"Whatever she's done, the effect is temporary." James saw Shane stiffen at his words and turn to him in attention. "Within a couple of hours, his condition will deteriorate again." He looked up at Shane. "I suggest you contact Santos and request for a strong telepath to be here within an hour."

Shane paled a little at his words but didn't question him and nodded. "I'm on it."

James looked down at Hailey, her breathing even as she was cradled against his chest, her head leaning against his shoulder and her hand on his pectoral, over his heart. The doctor looked at Hailey for a moment before frowning. "Does she require medical attention?"

"No," James managed to say, anger raking through his being for the man's obliviousness. If Hailey had been in acute danger, the medical staff would have been too late by now. James wasn't planning on leaving her at the mercy of these inadequate people. He'd look after her.

The doctor nodded. "This is a medical miracle," he muttered before walking over to the bed and continuing monitoring Morgan.

No, it hadn't been. The only miracle was the small woman in his arms.

James waited for all the medical staff to leave, until he was alone with Shane in the room. In the meantime Morgan had fallen asleep, but this time it seemed to be a normal sleep, not the coma the boy had been in for weeks.

Shane walked over to James and sat down on his haunches. He reached out to Hailey and brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

The only reason James allowed the touch was because he'd seen it the moment Shane swung out at him. He'd finally understood what Hailey had tried to show him. Shane's interest wasn't romantic. Hailey was like a sister to him.

_Good. _

The more people to protect her, the better.

Shane looked up. "So this is it? I can have one, but lose the other?" He looked over his shoulder to his brother and thrust his hand through his dark hair.

James shook his head. "She can't keep doing this. Even if she wanted to, I won't let her."

When Shane's eyes flashed at him, James spoke again. "She's only able to take over the abilities for a short amount of time," he explained. He looked at the bed where Morgan was lying. "The boy needs to learn to control them or this will keep happening."

Shane shook his head and stood up. "You're saying all these things, but I don't understand. _What_ abilities are you talking about? Morgan's never been able to do anything."

James arched his eyebrow. "Whatever he's able to do, it's burning him down to the core." He met Shane's dark gaze. "He needs a telepath to shield him from doing whatever he's been doing to cause him to flame out like this."

James rose from the sofa, lifting Hailey's limp body. "I'm taking her home. She needs to recover."

The other male nodded, his eyes lingering on Hailey. James could see the sincere concern for Hailey in Shane's expression. Perhaps he'd be able to tolerate the dark-haired male after all.

"Will she be alright?"

James looked down at Hailey's face, dark smudges underneath her eyes and her cheekbones cutting sharply against her skin. He clenched his jaw at the sight of her. He knew she wouldn't have it another way, that she'd always sacrifice herself if her friends needed her. But now he saw the heavy toll her powers took, and he knew he couldn't watch her offer herself up time and time again. It would destroy her.

_Just like working continuously for the covert team will destroy you_, a reasonable but unwelcome voice in his mind said.

James shoved away that thought.

"I'll take care of her." He moved as to walk away but froze when he felt Shane's hand on his arm. Even though James had used physical contact to stop Shane when Hailey was using her ability, it still didn't come natural to him. Not with anyone else but her.

When he glanced over his shoulder, Shane's dark green eyes glinted. "Thank you. And thank her as well." Shane let go of his arm. "We're still having that fight though."

James inclined his head and left the room.


	37. Chapter 35

35

Hailey woke with a massive headache, painful enough to cause a grimace when she tried to move.

A warm hand cupped her face. _Lay still. _

She wanted to snap at the command but had little energy she could tap into to give an acerbic response. When she opened her eyes, she blinked a couple of times before her eyes could focus.

"We're home," her voice hoarse.

_Yes. I took you back after you passed out. You need to rest._

Hailey frowned and met her Arrow's azure eyes. "Did it work?"

"Yes."

When she tried to sit up, James moved to help her. "You didn't conduct Morgan's ability through me." He stroked his knuckles over her cheek. "Why?"

Hailey winced when her head throbbed and sagged back against her pillow. "I tried, but it felt like I was slipping. I couldn't keep holding on with the rush of Morgan's powers slamming into my head."

Alarmed, she shot forward and gritted her teeth when she saw stars.

James' expression darkened, his voice steel. "You need to rest," he said again.

Hailey pulled a face and leaned back again. "I need to tell Shane what happened," she argued while rubbing her eyes. "Morgan, he takes away pain. Not only physical, but emotional pain as well. He does both." A frown. "Does that make sense?"

"I've come to a similar conclusion. It seems he has a variation to M and E-abilities. The combination made it difficult to detect, which is why the medical staff was unable to help him."

Hailey released a breath. "I need to contact Shane." The moment Morgan's abilities were unleashed inside of Hailey, she'd felt an overloading explosion of emotions pull her under. "I don't think Morgan's consciously aware of what he's constantly doing." She thrust her hand through her hair. "He keeps on taking in everybody's negative emotions and physical pain, and he doesn't stop when it's hurting him."

James' tone was factual. "I know. That's why I told Shane to request a telepath to shield his brother."

Hailey looked at James' expressionless face and felt her heart expand. If it hadn't been for him, she'd never thought of using her abilities to pull away Morgan's power, giving him some time to recover from the constant overload to his system, which had made his body and mind crumble to the point that he was dying from sheer exhaustion.

"Thank you, love." She reached out to stroke his cheek. "I can't express how much it means to me that we were able to save him."

James cupped her chin, his eyes hard as stone. "You can't do this every time someone's in pain because of their abilities." Hailey felt his worry through their bond.

She shook her head. "It's not solely your choice to make; we have to decide together."

His jaw tightened in rejection, his shoulders stiff. "You already know my decision." His azure eyes studied her face, the jet black of his pupils contrasting with the deep color of his irises. "It's too much for you to bear."

Making a snorting sound, Hailey ignored the sting in her head and leaned forward to stoke a finger past James' jawline. "I'll live." She brushed her lips over his as warmth shuddered through her body. "Imagine how many of the Forgotten I'll be able to help if I can moderately drain their abilities and, together, we'll be able to figure out what they need to control their powers."

_You are not a machine. I won't let you deplete yourself by turning into an assembly line for Santos to use._

Hailey bit his lip for the very negative way of approaching her idea. "It won't be like that."

James leaned back and moved his hand to cup her jaw, his features stark. "I've been there. I've been used over and over for the purpose of others while I thought I was doing something good. I won't let you make the same mistakes I made." His eyes frosted over. "I saw the way the doctors were looking at you after you helped the boy. It's the same way people have looked at me, Zaira, Vasic, Judd and the others before utilizing us for their benefits."

Hailey grabbed his wrist. "Then you'll be there to watch over me, to see to it that doesn't happen. I'm not going to ignore what I can do when there's even the slightest possibility I can prevent others from undergoing Morgan's fate."

She nudged his hand away and placed it over her heart. "We were barely in time." She bit her lip at the memory of Morgan's flickering presence, his life almost vanquished by the avalanche of hurt. "Think about how it could be, the _good _we could do."

When she swayed, James caught her in his arms and gently placed her down. "Rest. We'll discuss this later."

Hailey closed her eyes and decided to persuade James a different way when she was feeling more energetic. She smiled at the idea of coaxing him with sinful suggestions and fell in a deep sleep, oak moss and sandalwood in her dreams.

The next day, Hailey called Shane to ask for an update on Morgan's state. He told her James' advice had worked; the telepath Devraj had sent to watch Morgan shielded him, so he was able to recover without his abilities immediately setting back the progress he'd made.

Morgan was still weakened from the hospitalization but had eaten a little and looked better. Hailey promised to visit soon.

Her heart felt lighter and she only now comprehended the stress Morgan's state had brought her, though the worry she'd felt hardly compared to the devastating agony Shane and his father had gone through this past month.

Feeling better after sleeping an entire day, Hailey had woken up immensely hungry. She'd munched down three burgers and two portions of fries she'd asked James to order.

James had eaten a nutrition bar–while being completely content with her inhaling the food–and she'd persuaded him to try some of her food. He'd actually liked the burger and Hailey decided she'd take him to a good burger restaurant for their next date.

Hailey thought about that for a while and concluded they probably wouldn't go on a date any time soon–especially after the security team had taken in a suspect–even if the entire point of the dates was to expose her to trap whomever was after her.

Scowling, she walked over to the bathroom to take a shower. Even though James had told her the Arrows had investigated the man who'd been watching her, he still wasn't convinced the threat on her life was averted since they had no leads to trace down the client. James had told her it had been a knowing, and even though Hailey trusted James to speak truthfully about these things, she wasn't sure if he wasn't just being overprotective.

Hailey shivered at the thought of being watched by someone for quite some time now. How could the guy have pulled it off without her noticing a single thing? Shaking off that thought, Hailey recalled the background information her security team had been able to dig up.

They'd questioned the man, who turned out to be a human veteran who'd fallen into addiction. The person giving him orders had been aware of his substance abuse and had used that knowledge as leverage.

Aside from having the order to follow her every move, the man had known nothing. He'd gotten paid generously per drop off and never had face-to-face contact with his client. He was instructed to send the intel via the dark web, where the data had bounced off nearly forty servers before vanishing.

To James, it was still a possibility that this was the Consortium's bidding, especially since now not only Psy, but humans were involved as well. Hailey had argued it could just as well be a former Psy Council member–hell, any powerful person really–in search of more power, similar to the former kidnappings of Forgotten.

Since James was one of the Arrows' technicians, he'd gone through the devices the security team had confiscated but had found no lead for them to investigate. After going through the devices several times, he'd been so frustrated, he felt his emotions were clouding his judgment. He'd decided to hand them over to another member of the team to assess and promised to be back in a couple of minutes.

Hailey stepped under the scalding hot water after she'd stripped and started washing her hair, running her hands through the dark mass, using her favorite shampoo. After rinsing off her hair, she washed her body. She closed her eyes and tipped her face up to feel the water, the hot liquid relaxing her muscles and easing the tension from her body.

Big hands slid around her waist.

Already aware of his presence, Hailey leaned into James' hard body while one hand moved from her waist to her abdomen, the other caressing the sensitive skin on the side of her breast.

She arched her head sideways and he kissed her, possessive and demanding, locking his arm around her waist when she tried to turn. Hailey felt James' erection pressing against her lower back, her stomach clenching at the feel of having him close.

He stroked the hair away from her shoulder and kissed her neck. Hailey braced her hands on his thighs, the muscles rock hard underneath her fingertips. She dug her nails into his skin when he bit her neck and rolled her nipple between his fingers. Warmth uncurled between her legs as he gently pulled the furled bud.

_You're beautiful, Hailey._

Hailey shivered at the rough edge of his voice in her mind. He needed a release from all the stress that was a constant weight on him, and oh, how she wanted to give this to him. He'd needed her and he'd come to her. And she needed him, too.

When she tried to turn again he held her even tighter, her butt pressing against the hardness of him. She wiggled against him, the water from the shower making them both slippery, and she could feel his harsh breaths caressing her nape in response to the friction. She looked over her shoulder when he pulled her nipple again, while his other hand dipped between her legs.

Hailey reached back and grabbed hold of his hair, leaning heavily against her strong Arrow. Whimpering at the sensation of his fingers caressing her delicate folds, she saw James' eyes darken with lust, black seeping throughout his eyes. Hailey bit her lip when she felt his fingers spreading her, circling her entrance.

"I want to touch you as well." It was a smoky whisper filled with need.

James fisted her hair and sucked the pulse of her neck while sliding his fingers deep inside her. Hailey arched her back and gasped as she tightened her hold on his hair, her legs shaking at the delicious intrusion of his fingers, her body her lovers instrument.

"No." The dark tone of his voice added to the heat on her skin as the water ran over her back. _Your punishment for your indiscretions is due._ He moved his hand from between her legs to her butt, molding the plump flesh.

Hailey let out a small cry when he pushed her against the glass wall, her breasts pressed against the cold surface and her palms flat on the glass as he held her in place with his Tk.

The confinement made her even wetter, the feeling of James' psychic touch hot and strong, like he was trapping her with his body firmly wrapped around hers. A shudder ran through her spine at the sensation, at the intimacy of surrendering herself to him.

James placed his hands on her waist and stroked down. She felt his telekinetic touch nudge her legs apart.

The contact made her skin shimmer, anticipation tightening her gut at being completely at his mercy. Her breathing turned choppy when his hand slid over her hip and he cupped her. Hailey tried to press herself against him, but his telekinetic hold wouldn't allow her body to move.

_I like having you like this,_ James said as he crouched behind her.

Frustrated and hot, Hailey managed to answer. _Probably because I'm doing what you want without resisting for once._

When James bit the outside of her thigh, Hailey gasped and looked down. At least he had the courtesy of giving her _some_ freedom of movement.

He turned her around, her back against the glass now, and slowly brushed his fingertips over the curves of her stomach, thigh and calf, taking all the time in the world to indulge in the tactile pleasure.

"This isn't punishment, this is torture," she said through gritted teeth while locking eyes with him. Hailey's heart violently slammed in her chest at the lust she saw in the dark onyx of his gaze, electric blue pulsing through the black. The corners of James' mouth curled, and he kissed her between the apex of her thighs.

She cried out when he thrust his fingers inside while kissing her most intimate place with deep, slow licks. When Hailey thought she was on the verge of an orgasm, James stopped.

Panting, Hailey tried to move, but was still pinned in place. "Yes, most definitely torture," she hissed.

James rose from the ground and licked the tip of her nipple.

_On the contrary, _his voice rough-edged in her mind as he gave her a smoldering look, jet-black eyes and heated cheekbones. _This is quite pleasurable. _

Hailey tried to reach out to him again but was held back, her palms flat on the glass next to her body. She released a shaky breath when James moved his hand between her legs again, gently pushing in one finger while running his teeth over the slope of her breast. Her internal muscles clenched at the delicious torment, but he pulled away his hand when Hailey felt she was close to climaxing again.

_My apologies, Miss Logan_, he whispered in her mind, _I_ _can't have you enjoying your punishment too much. _

She let out a frustrated growl, her body on edge and her mind dizzy with pleasure. _I'm going to kill you for this, slowly. _A sob when he circled her clit before drawing his fingers away again. _Very, _very_ slowly!_

James shot her a half smile, one corner of his mouth turned upwards, and she sucked in a breath at the lethal beauty of him. He bent forward and kissed her deeply.

_Always so beautiful when you're angry. _

_And you're always so insufferable when you're arrogant_, she snapped, knowing he was experiencing satisfaction from her responses.

The rich, deep, _beautiful_ sound of his laughter in her mind made her heart skip three beats. Eyes huge, she looked up.

James was mesmerizing, his black eyes blazing with blue jolts and his lips curved in a full smile now. Hailey couldn't help but smile back, her love for him profound. The fact that they were intimate and he was playing with her once again reminded her of how far he'd come since they'd first met.

"Arrogant, but mine," she murmured. She gently sucked on his lower lip when he kissed her. "Please, love."

James held her chin and angled her head the way he liked it. _Please, what?_ His kiss was a little rough, making Hailey moan when he shaped her breast with his big hand.

_Yes_, Hailey thought, _he might look in control and cold to others, but there is a wildness inside him akin to yours_. A wildness she loved, a roughness she desired. It made her feel owned, complete. And, it was his tell, letting her know he was losing his oh-so precious control.

"No," she said breathlessly. "We're not playing that game again."

James bit her neck and sucked on her pulse. Her body shuddered from the pleasure of his rugged caresses. At this point, Hailey was glad James held her up with his Tk or she would have slumped to the bathroom floor, his lovemaking turning her boneless.

_It's called punishment for a reason._

Hailey sobbed when he sucked the tip of her breast and bit the sensitized nub. A thought popped up in her head and she used her telekinesis to 'stroke' his chest while he kept torturing her.

James' head snapped up, depths of onyx expressing his lust for her. His gold skin gleamed from the water, his muscles moving fluidly as he ran his hands up her body and closed them around her ribs. The sight of him made her whimper.

_Dear God, he looks like pure sin._

"Tell me, Hailey. I want to hear you say it," crushed ice and whiskey cream, his desire-filled voice rubbing against her skin as much as his body. She gasped when he slid his fingers inside her again and tried to arch her back–but couldn't. Her telekinetic motion stopped; her mind too fogged with pleasure to concentrate.

"You," she panted. "I want you."

That wicked, beautiful, dangerous smile again as his eyes locked with hers. _Not until you say it._

Hailey cried out when James stroked his finger over the slippery bundle of nerves between her legs, her muscles painful from the tension. He kissed the line of her collarbone.

"No." The word came out weak, her body shuddering under his delicious torment. "Let me go first."

_Always fighting for control_, it was a hum in her mind as he kissed her deeply. _Very well. _

James lifted her with one arm and use of his Tk, his other hand clenching in the wet mass of her hair. Water splashed on her shoulders and warmed her cold back. He finally released her from the telekinetic hold, and she wrapped her legs around his hips as she laced her fingers through his wet hair, hauling him in for another kiss.

She laved her tongue against his, the taste and feel of James shooting jolts of pleasure through her body. He pressed her against the glass wall again, his kisses hungry and possessive. Hailey moaned when the blunt tip of his erection pressed against her slick entrance.

His eyes met hers, heat in the pure blackness of his gaze. _I want you, Hailey._ He pushed himself inside her a little. _Do you want me as well? _

Hailey felt a blush creep up her cheeks, and she decided to be bold, give him what he wanted. "Yes, James," her voice soft and husky. "Please, fuck me."

With one fluid movement he was inside, filling her to the hilt, the feeling of his hardness exquisite against her sensitive flesh. He didn't stop to pause but kept on going, burying himself inside her with deep strokes. Hailey dug her nails into his shoulders as James telepathically sent her an image. And she remembered it had been her own fantasies, which he was bringing to life at this second.

_Him locking eyes with her while she moaned his name. Him driving into her faster, harder, deeper. _

The images of him filling her with extreme possession, combined with his actions made every nerve ending explode as the orgasm tore through her body. Pleasure rippled through her while James kept moving, extending the feeling of ecstasy. When her internal muscles stopped convulsing, the aftershocks fading, he slowed down.

Her body hanging limp against his, Hailey panted, inhaling deep gulps of air. By the time she was finally able to breathe properly, she lifted her head and saw a gleam in his eyes. Her own eyes widened.

_Oh… He isn't finished yet._

She bit her lip. "What are you– Ah!"

Naked and wet, he broke their connection and carried her out of the bathroom, lifted her to the bed and flipped her onto her front. Hailey was helpless to do anything than follow his lead. _You're going to kill me. I'm going to die from lack of oxygen by apocalyptic sex._

She laughed when he bit her shoulder and found a new vein of energy. Tipping her head to the side, Hailey saw James had moved over her while kissing her neck, shoulders and spine. His hands on either side of her body, he pushed up his athletic torso, showcasing his muscles. Shuddering–not from the cold but from the heat he incited–Hailey lifted her hips a little in an attempt to feel his hardness against her lower curves.

James kissed her cheekbone, the shell of her ear and bit her earlobe before responding. "If you die, I'll have you teleported to the hospital in your current state."

"No you wouldn't!" she exclaimed as she arched up her butt to press against him, her lower body hot and wet all over for him. Satisfaction ran through her at the sound of his harsh breaths, evidence that he wasn't as much in control as he seemed to be. "You're far too possessive to let anyone see me like this," she whispered.

James nipped at her neck. "You know me too well."

Her heart jerked at the murmured words, her love for him expanding with every moment in his company. _Please, James. _She met his eyes as she glanced over her shoulder. _Please make me come again. _

Hailey felt his erection press against her core, pleasure sweeping through her body in anticipation of him inside her. His hand fisted in her hair and Hailey moaned when the thick invasion of his erection stretched her pleasure-swollen tissues. In this position he filled her even more, and she enjoyed every stroke. His weight felt deliciously intimate on top of her, his ragged breaths augmenting her arousal.

_You're far too good at this_, she telepathically sent when he eased his movements in order to extend his orgasm, her legs shaking from exertion.

"Maybe we should read a manual together." His voice was a rough breath against her nape as he receded and entered slowly.

Hailey's skin flushed at that excellent suggestion. "I love reading," she breathed as she moved against him, clutching her internal muscles. "And I'm a quick study."

James groaned, his lips touching her shoulder. _On second thought, I don't think you need more ammunition. You're dangerously seductive as it is. I don't think I'd survive the pleasure. _Another groan when she rolled her hips. He stopped moving for an instance, his lips brushing the sensitive skin of her neck. _Though, dying of a heart attack while coming deep inside you and having you naked on top doesn't sound like a bad way to go._

Hailey couldn't hold back her laugh. "That's not a sexy picture at all!" She moved her lower body, urging him to move with her. "Stop trying to distract me from giving you an orgasm."

He pulled back and thrust inside her with ruthless deliberation. _Indulging in you is the ultimate form of pleasure._

His telekinetic touch reached between the apex of her thighs, and she spread her legs a little more while pushing up and holding onto the cast-iron frame of her headboard. James wrapped one arm around her waist, the other tightened in her hair as he started moving in a punishing rhythm, pounding into her, making her internal muscles clamp around him.

_Hailey__!_ James sounded raw and hot and like pure sex in the walls of her mind, the orgasm rocking through her body. She screamed out in uninhibited pleasure.

_Yes, yes, yes!_

He thrust deep inside her one final time before his muscles locked, his head against her shoulder and his breathing heavy.

When Hailey felt his body relax, she moved and pulled him along to lay next to her in the bed. Snuggling close to him, she inhaled the scent of oak moss and sandalwood.

_Her Arrow. Her mate._

"You forgot to turn off the shower," she said with a lazy smile.

A small rumbling noise was the only proof of life she got as she heard the water stop. Frowning, Hailey stared at the barely visible window. She blinked a couple of times and tried to focus her eyes on the currently blurry frame of the pressed peony she'd hung next to the window.

She sat up.

Arching an eyebrow, she looked through the door connecting the bedroom to the living area. "Why is my entire apartment filled with mist?"

James opened one eye and closed it again when he pulled her close. "It's a solution to our intimacy problem."

Hailey snorted. "I guess it's better than thunderstorms, but don't you think people will notice?" she asked as she cuddled close to him, warmth radiating from his damp body. She pointed to the layer of condensation on the windows. "That's kind of hard to miss."

James kept his eyes closed while he wrapped his arm around her. "You're overthinking again."

She smiled as she rubbed her lips against his pectoral, happiness over-flooding her at the notion of discussing something nonsensical like this. Pushing away all her dark thoughts and troubles, she enjoyed holding on to her Arrow and secretly dreamed of the future they might not have together.

Hailey had cleared the table after their lunch and sat down on the sofa with her legs folded under herself, a large mug of tea in her hands. James took in the picture she made–comfortable, content,–and knew what he was about to tell her would cause a shift in her relaxed mood. He stood with his arms crossed in front of the window and looked outside, searching for the right words.

"I'd like to use other abilities, like teleporting. Maybe Vasic can teach me with your help," she said, breaking through his musing.

He stiffened: his shoulders tight. It was as if she'd read his mind. Hailey shifted, her mug of tea abandoned on the coffee table as she leaned with her elbows on the side of the sofa. "Spill it."

He turned towards her and took several moments to respond. "I've asked Vasic and Abbot to help me gain control of my teleportation skills."

Hailey shook her head. "No."

He arched his eyebrow at the finality in that word. "You almost got caught the night you went running by yourself." He thrust a hand through his hair. "I can't put a teleport-capable Tk with the ability to lock onto faces on your security team–not when I'm capable of the same skills."

"You shouldn't do it because of me," she said, her face grim.

James shot her a look that left no room for arguments. "My training has already started and will continue tomorrow. You can accompany me if you wish. Otherwise I'll make sure the protective detail is aware of my absence."

Hailey let out a frustrated sigh as she stood up, her hands on her hips, battle-ready as always. "You shouldn't do it if it hurts you. It's not worth it."

He was on her in a heartbeat, his hands cupping her face. "It doesn't hurt, and it's worth _everything_. Never in my life have I felt useless." His heart kicked painfully at the memory of her frantic eyes when he'd pulled her towards the alley. "I did feel useless, I _was _useless when I was too late to protect you."

Hailey's hands clenched in his shirt. "I don't mean physical hurt," she said with a scowl. "You chose Silence because of your past experiences with teleportation."

"And I haven't forgotten those reasons," he retorted, "but I'm not a child anymore. My control has vastly improved. It's time I learn." He'd already been training his ability to memorize teleportation locks, and tomorrow he'd attempt the actual teleports.

Her features softened, sadness in her eyes. "It's your choice and I'll support you however I can," she said while brushing her fingertips past his jaw, "but when this is over, I don't want you to look back and feel like your choice was forced upon you."

Leaning his forehead against hers, he released a deep breath. "If I don't and something happens to you, I won't be able to live with the knowledge I didn't do everything in my power to save you."

Her response was quiet. "It still might not change the outcome." She pulled back and cupped his jaw, demanding him to look into her solid brown eyes. "You need to promise me that you won't go back to being Silent if that's the case."

The crash of emotions hit him so hard, it felt like all the air was punched out of him. They'd never discussed what would happen if his visions would become reality.

Now he understood why.

The severe weight of their spoken words was heavier, more intense than the unspoken truth. There was no hiding, no escaping from them once they were said. Moments passed as he pulled himself together in order to respond. "I won't."

The color drenched from Hailey's face. Of course she'd heard the hidden depth of his words. Of course she understood he wasn't agreeing to honor her request.

"_No_,"her voice trembled. "You can't." She shook her head and pushed at his chest. "The Squad needs you. Aden needs you."

He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, his tone gentle. "Parting with you for weeks was the worst possible torture but I suffered through it because I believed it could have saved you." A tear fell across her cheek, disbelief in her eyes. "You've changed me, Hailey. I don't think I can live in this world without you lighting the darkness."

If they'd take Hailey from him, he'd track down and kill every last one of the people involved before ending his own life. Her assailants would rip away the best part of him, destroy one half of his heart. How could she think there was even the slightest possibility of him surviving after that?

No, he'd never live, never be whole. It was a knowledge ingrained so deep inside of him, James didn't bother disputing it. Without her, the violent rage would take over. He'd become the rogue assassin the Squad's mental penal had feared he could become when he'd been that angry boy. And the world didn't need another monster.

A quiet sob escaped Hailey's throat as she wrapped her arms around him, crushing herself against him. He tightly held on to her quivering body, his chest aching.

When Hailey stopped crying, she pulled back and wiped away her tears. She tipped up her head, her eyes blazing gold sparks. "Thank you for telling me." The determined look in her eyes confused him, until she spoke again. "There's no way in hell I'm going to let them take you from me, from the Squad." She nodded at him. "I'll come with you tomorrow."

A jolt struck his heart at her steely words, erasing the tightness in his chest. He smiled at her, which made jade sparks come to life in her eyes. "Very well, Miss Logan."

Bright like fire, with ruthless determination. His mate. His Siren.


	38. Chapter 36

36

'And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.'

16th century play, the small purple book on my nightstand.

\- Telepathic message from Hailey to James

"Try again. Use these images as a lock, then use Hailey for a facial lock to return."

Hailey leaned back against the tree in the orchard as she watched James give Vasic and Abbot a curt nod before inhaling. James had repeated the same exercise over and over again for the past three days.

The morning after her heartbreaking conversation with James, the three of them had started training and they'd been going at it for hours a day.

She never expected him to try and use his teleportation skills this much this fast, but James had told her it had been akin to training muscles you barely used; they'll handle the strain although it takes effort.

Hailey was extremely proud of James for opening himself up. Asking for help meant he had to be vulnerable, something she knew was immensely difficult for a man who always handled everything by himself. Yet training with Abbot and Vasic had proved easier for him than she'd expected. Maybe it was because their missions often required him to be dependent of others. Maybe it was because the other men were as serious as he was. Either way, it felt good watching him interact with others, though he'd shrugged it off and told her he'd do the same for his fellow Arrows.

Not fooled by his cool words, Hailey watched the air around James shimmer. His body became an unfocused blur and after several seconds, he was gone. Abbot followed him moments later.

A smile appeared on her face as she pushed herself up and walked over to Vasic. "He's not as fast as you are, but then again, I don't think anybody is," she said.

Vasic shook his head. "Krychek is the only one I've met that's able to teleport without any form of lag. Other teleport capable Tk's all have the disadvantage where the delay lasts several seconds before they can 'port."

Hailey tilted her head a little. "Does it always require this much energy for them?" She thought about the amounts of food James had inhaled over the past couple of days. After the first day she'd decided to carry around a backpack filled with nutrition bars and fortified water for him to replenish his reserves–much like he'd done for her during their training. Besides that, she'd learned he needed at least six continuous hours of sleep to recover.

This morning she'd decided to sneak out of bed early and make pancakes. He'd eaten eight. Smiling at the memory, Hailey listened to Vasic.

"Yes, mainly because it's not their primary ability. Though, James is able to 'port more than Abbot or Judd, his range is shorter. He can travel longer distances but won't be able to do it as often as shorter-range 'ports." He looked down at the clear display of his watch. A small hologram appeared, showing the amount of time James had been gone. "For me it's the other way around. Teleporting causes less loss of energy than using my telekinesis."

Hailey nodded and reached inside her bag to take out a bottle of fortified water. An instant later, the air next to them shimmered, and James appeared. His hair was stuck to his temple and he wiped sweat from his forehead.

"You're getting faster," Vasic said as Abbot appeared next to them.

James inclined his head. "I think it's because I've done it before as a child." The corner of his mouth curled in a sideways smile as he looked at his second in command. "Though I can't say I've ever teleported to ten different locations within…" He glanced over to the hologram on Vasic' watch. "…fifty-six point three seconds."

"You would benefit from more training, since you still require two to five seconds before you start the travel," Abbot said.

Hailey scowled at them. "Not today. You've been practicing since this morning. It's getting dark now." She handed him a bottle of water. "I think it's safe to say you've improved enough to stop for the day." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and narrowed her eyes when Abbot shot Vasic a look.

_Are all women like this? _Abbot asked while including James in the telepathic conversation with Vasic. _I thought Jaya and Ivy were gentle when I first met them. That was a grave miscalculation on my end._

Abbot's deadpan comment made Vasic smile a little in return. _They care. We need them to care_, Vasic said.

James thought about that comment while gulping down the water. Even though Hailey wasn't an empath, her love was a fierce thing, the light of her blazing through life with an intensity that was akin to a hurricane. Wild, with a stubborn tenaciousness she directed to him on a daily basis. He wouldn't have it any other way.

_Hailey almost killed me once and has threatened to kill me multiple times_, James now said._ That's how I know she belongs to me._

Abbot's eyes widened a fraction as he looked at James. _You're implying they show their affection by threatening and commanding us?_

James wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his lips twitching. _Yes. Emotions are confusing and women can be most irrational about them. _

Vasic arched his brow. _While you are being most rational about your security measures after your visions. _

James didn't respond to the comment. He understood the subtlety of Vasic' words, where before, he would have missed the hidden context. Vasic was needling him, but James was also very aware that Vasic would have taken the same protective measures for Ivy if she'd been in danger.

Hailey made a small, frustrated noise when Abbot's eyes glimmered in humor at Vasic' taunt. "You guys are rude and stupid," she muttered as she tugged the bottle out of his hand and tossed it in her bag after tightly screwing the lid on top. "Can we go home now?"

James shook his head. "Not yet. I want to try one more thing."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're insane if you think I'll let you have another go."

James felt warmth in his chest expand at her protectiveness. Yes, she truly belonged to him.

_It seems my presumptuous mate has forgotten the fact that we're connected_, she telepathically added. _I don't have a problem with you training, but I can tell you're tired_.

James frowned a little. He'd indeed forgotten the fact that she'd be able to sense his fatigue through their connection.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed, jade and gold sparking, framed by dark eyelashes. _Arrogant man._ _How on earth is it possible you didn't kill yourself due to over exhaustion before we met?_

James could tell by her snarky tone they would be having a conversation about this in the near future. Oddly, he was looking forward to it.

"You know what? Next time I'm bringing Zaira." Hailey smirked at him. "She'll be able to kick your ass if you have more stupid ideas."

She arched her eyebrow when Abbot shot him a look. _It's fascinating how angry they can get. _

Vasic coughed.

James stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, hiding his smile by nuzzling her hair. _His possessive, protective Siren.. _

"Hold on," he whispered in her ear. He gave Abbot and Vasic a curt nod. _Same time tomorrow?_

The men confirmed James' question before he closed his eyes and concentrated on the image in his mind.

Hailey gasped as the air around them shimmered. Three heartbeats later, they were standing in front of her bed inside her apartment. Eyes big, she looked at James. He was breathing heavily but his eyes sparked.

Unable to chastise him while she could feel his happiness–smug happiness, that was–burn though their connection, she cupped his face and brushed her lips over his. "Go shower. I'll get you something to eat."

When she would have stepped back, he pulled her closer and kissed her again. Hailey grabbed hold of his sweat-damp hair and deepened the kiss, licking out her tongue against his. His hands slid from her back down to her butt, and he squeezed the luscious flesh. Hailey jerked and smiled against his lips.

_No, pretty man. _She softly bit his lower lip._ Shower, then eat, then sleep. _

"Abbot was right," James' dark voice a murmur that made her nipples tighten. "You women bring us all down to our knees with your persistent personalities and sharp tongues."

"Ha!" Hailey pushed herself out of his hold, ushering him towards the bathroom. "Jaya is even more gentle than Ivy is."

James hauled her in for another deep kiss. "Do you truly believe she remains gentle when Abbot returns home, close to flaming out after days of being on a mission?"

Hailey pursed her lips at that thought while her hands skated down his torso. "I guess he probably deserves it then." She grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and pulled the piece of clothing over his head. With a quick movement James helped her. Sighing, she traced the lines of his collarbones and pressed a kiss onto his chest. "Go shower, before I forget you're too tired and devour you."

His hand fisted in her hair and he pressed her against the wall, his body solid muscle against her soft curves. _I'm not that tired_, he said as he kissed the upper slope of her breast. Hailey's hands slid from his shoulders down to his cargo pants. She opened the button and the zipper and crouched down to kiss his muscular thigh while untying the laces of his boots. The taste of salt and James almost made her moan. His hand clenched in her hair when she kissed and licked his other thigh, while continuing undressing him.

A small rumble appeared from his throat when she threw his boots, socks and pants out of the way. She kneeled and stroked her hands over his back while kissing his hipbone. She looked up and saw his head arched back. After licking and kissing along the line of his boxer briefs, she stood up.

"Now," she said huskily, "go take your shower."

She laughed when he bit her earlobe but loved him even more for listening to her after pressing his lips onto hers for one more possessive kiss. He needed to rest first. _But perhaps you can coax him into debauchery another time._

Grinning deeply at that thought, Hailey went to prepare a nutritional meal for her Arrow.

Just before midnight, James woke. He handed Hailey a leather-synth jacket made of laser proof material to wear as they went for a walk. Hailey had decided to take James to a trendy fusion bistro/ice cream parlor that was open twenty-four hours, and James had mobilized the team securing her.

His eyes widened a fraction when they reached their destination. Then he shot her a look.

_I'm uncertain I'll be able to maintain my focus here_.

Hailey's grin was wide when she followed his gaze back to the small restaurant. Named 'Uni Vibes', the space looked like a unicorn had barfed all over the inside. Bright neon rainbow colors were splattered over the high stools, small tables and chairs, walls, floor and ceiling.

The kids from school had told Hailey the owner was a Russian pony changeling, who made sure at least one changeling in animal form strode around the parlor with rainbow-painted mane and a gold horn attached to their head. The rest of the waiting staff wore rainbow-sequined aprons and small golden crowns. It was an insane but popular tourist attraction. Aside from that, the food served was a-ma-zing.

"Everything they serve either has sprinkles, sparkles or a unicorn on top of it," her voice delighted as she looked up at James again. His features softened a little and he brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

_No more distracting me,_ his dark voice reflecting in the walls of her mind.

Hailey tipped her head sideways, aware that this was difficult for him, even if there were a lot of Arrows on site to keep her safe. "I'm getting you a Uni-Wich," she said while tapping her fingers to her lips in thought, "and I'm going for the Sparkle Shake."

If James hadn't known any better he would've sworn Hailey was playing with him, but her perfectly serious face made it clear the ridiculous items she wanted to order were, in fact, food.

They sat down at a small table in the back where Hailey selected their food on a digital menu and made a sweeping hand gesture to send the order through.

_Am I imagining it, or is that an actual unicorn?_

Hailey's dazzling smile was enough of an answer. "It's marvelous, right?" She drew a pensive face. "We should go to the drive-in theater one day. They have amazing service. You can select your meal while watching the movie, and changeling falcons and sparrows bring you dinner."

His eyebrow slightly arched as he scanned the parlor for possible threats. It was an odd thing to do, to wait for an attack in such a colorful, buzzing space. "Why is your idea of a date always linked to food?"

"Because," she scrunched her nose, "food is culture, and culture is art."

James thought about her words. He'd never considered food for any other purpose than to refuel, but he now understood eating with Hailey equaled eating in comfortable company, enjoying not only the meal but her presence. He had little knowledge of art and culture, but Hailey did. She'd show him, enrich his life with new experiences… like eating rainbow-colored food.

She quickly looked over her shoulder before turning to him again, and James noted her shoulders were slightly stiff. Even though Hailey was attempting to make this date as normal-seeming as possible, she, too, was aware of the underlying threat. James psychically checked in with the other Arrows who had followed them and were standing watch.

"I wanted to take you to a bar where performers do spoken word poetry," his beautiful mate now said, "but since the location is mostly dark, I figured it wouldn't be a good idea. Aside from that, you needed to eat."

James shook his head. _We have high tech binoculars with night vision, _he informed her, _but I don't believe I'd be able to appreciate the performers' efforts… or understand a single thing they're saying. _Easy conversation didn't come naturally to him and was hard enough to decipher, let alone when the true meaning of words would be masked with the verbal variety of trinkets.

Hailey's head tilted a little to the right. _You're selling yourself short. I think that would depend entirely on the metaphor. _Sparks of gold dancing on a warm brown background. _What if I'd say I'd like to polish your gun and lick your pistol clean?_ she purred within his mind.

A husky laugh at his stunned silence.

James shook his head in open disbelief, dazed by the erotic suggestion of her words. "You're too dangerous to be set free into the world. Perhaps I'll arrange constant supervision after this is over, to make sure you don't blow people's minds with your verbal intelligence."

She took the easy opening. "I only want to blow the mind of one person in particular," she teased, "so please, supervise me all you like. I'll make it worth your while."

On the verge of eagerly accepting her scandalous offer–because being seduced by Hailey was anything but hardship and he had no resistance when it came to her in the first place,–James' attention was drawn by a server moving their way.

He stared at the plate that was placed in front of him by a young female with colorful glitter on her temples. There were two slices of bread covered with a spread in pastel rainbow colors, a unicorn-shaped stencil of glittering icing sugar on top.

He glared at Hailey's sparkling eyes. "I can't eat this."

She took a sip from her equally colorful milkshake, the mason jar in which the concoction was poured topped with a pink donut, whipped cream with sprinkles, and two sticks with what appeared to be prancing unicorns.

"No one is going to poison you." She picked up one of the sandwiches and took a bite for good measure. "See?"

He reluctantly took the slice of bread from her before tasting what could very well be his last meal. A frown appeared on his face.

Hailey smiled brightly. "It's designed for Psy," she explained as she gestured towards the menu. "They've used the nutrient spread and added only a little flavor. They've done it with all Psy food items. You can even buy unicorn-shaped nutrient bars and rainbow-colored nutrient mix. Those ponies are quite clever," she said in open approval.

James took another bite and found that Hailey was right. The rainbow spread was slightly sweeter than the spread he was used to eating, still it was nowhere near as sweet as Hailey's drink when she coaxed him into trying a sip.

"The children would love it," she said, longing in her voice as she stirred her milkshake with the straw. "I should ask Zaira if she can help me figure out the logistics. Maybe we can teleport it the valley. It would be wonderful to watch their faces when they see all this crazy food."

_Sir. Two individuals show signs of interest. Possible threat localized. _

James was immediately on high alert as he scanned the parlor again, to see two tall, blond women who had just stepped inside and were staring at Hailey. He noticed Hailey had gone motionless and was watching him intently.

Two Arrows on Hailey's security team–dressed in civilian clothing–stepped inside the parlor and sat down on the high stools in front of the windows next to the entrance. They tapped on the menu and ordered something before briefly making eye contact. The females had moved in the meantime and seated themselves at a small table near the front of the parlor. They spoke and simultaneously looked in Hailey's direction.

James focused his attention to Hailey again, who had fisted her hands on top of the table and waited quietly. He answered her silent question. _Six o'clock, two females._

She inhaled quietly and moved to thrust her hand through her hair as she looked over her shoulder. Then she snorted and shook her head, eyes streaked with jade and gold. "They're not looking at me, love." She took a sip from her drink and arched her eyebrow. _They're watching _you_, my sweet and handsome Arrow. _

James tested Hailey's hypotheses by breaking protocol and looking directly at the two women who were seated several yards away. They both blushed and quickly averted their gazes.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment. The entire plan was for Hailey and him to be inconspicuous, just a couple doing regular things together so they could lure the attackers out of hiding. The fact that he was drawing attention–even though he was dressed in civilian clothes–was most unwelcome. He considered how to solve that problem while telepathically updating the team.

Apparently, Hailey had already found a solution to his problem. She stood up, placed her hands flat on the table and leaned forward to kiss him. She tasted sweet and tempting and wild. He cupped her jaw while remaining alert, not making the same mistake as he'd done at the bar, where he'd been too caught up in Hailey to take note of his surroundings. This time her life was at stake. She'd forgive him his absent behavior.

_Mine_, her telepathic voice a roar as she nipped his lower lip before sitting down again. She looked over her shoulder at the two blondes who were sulking a little and shot him a wide grin. "Now, stop flirting and finish your food. Perhaps I'll give you desert when we get back."

Two days and two tense dates later, there was still no sight of the attackers. On their second pretend-date, James and she had gone for a run together late in the evening, after which they'd sat in Central Park. At one point, the security team had noticed a young man taking pictures of them and had immediately chased the man when he ran from the site.

It had ended with a sizzle.

The man had taken pictures because he'd recognized James; he'd almost fallen victim to one of the Psy who'd been affected by the outbursts of insanity in the Net, but James had saved him. Since he knew James was an Arrow, he wanted to take pictures to sell to the PsyNet Beacon and hoped it would net him a large profit, considering the masses' curiosity for the lethal yet intriguing Arrow Squad. Needless to say, the security team had confiscated the man's digital devices and had done an extensive background check before giving the 'all clear'.

The man had gotten off with a warning that had left him sheet-white and shaking. Hailey felt a little sorry for him but was also pissed that people wanted to exploit James–and the other Arrows–in such a fashion, after all the Squad had done for them.

Surprisingly, James had been the more levelheaded one about the situation. He told her he didn't mind if the whole world knew that she was his, preferably after the threat on her life was averted. Then he'd asked her if she'd already planned anything for their next date so he could brief the team.

Hailey had rolled with her eyes and told him she wanted to go to an open-air jazz bar, not the least bit eager to appear on the cover of some trashy tabloid.

_Wild woman magazine, however…_

Still. No.

Their date at the jazz bar had been relatively quiet, and no suspicious movements had been observed by James or the team.

Even though Hailey wasn't looking forward to the visions coming into play, the wait was agonizing. She occupied herself during the days by learning how to shield herself from telepathic invasion–which, to her displeasure, required extensive meditating–and visited Morgan, who was looking more and more like his old self again. He was learning how to shield himself as well, and they were able to exchange some techniques before he had to rest.

James had found a more productive way to spend his time. Hailey's apartment had been redecorated four times over by use of his new skills. It had started with small things, like teleporting the dishes or garbage. After a few hours that apparently became boring, and James had started teleporting bigger objects and objects that were further away.

They had discovered Hailey didn't suffer from the nauseating aftereffects when it was James who'd teleport her. James had theorized it was because of their connection. Hailey didn't care much about how or why; she was just happy this was something else they could share. And perhaps, when James had honed his new-but-old skill, she'd be able to learn as well.

For now, she had to deal with James developing his strength. And truth be told, he was kind of creative about it. This morning Hailey had woken on the sofa, which wasn't all that bad. Except for the fact that the sofa now stood on the rooftop of her apartment building. Hailey hadn't been able to pull off an angry face when James had smiled at her and teleported her to the table and two chairs–which he'd also transferred to the roof. He'd then teleported an extensive breakfast with all her favorite items and they'd eaten on the rooftop in the morning sun, discussing their plans for the night.

She loved the fact that he was using his time both to gain control over his ability but also for play. At times, she could feel weight of the visions pulling him under and darkening his moods. Hailey tried her best to sooth the storm inside of him, but the stress was getting to her as well.

The team that was tracing Psy through the Net hadn't had any success. After questioning several Psy, it turned out most of them were either in need of help from the Empathic Collective or just wanted to remain as Silent as possible in the new world.

In the meantime, James and his unit were still on high alert. They were following her every move, which made her feel a little antsy, but she figured she might as well use the opportunity to get to know some of the Arrows better.

When Hailey went out to the bookstore after a lunch date with Aiseline and another ex-colleague–James had teleported to the valley for a staff meeting, after which he'd continue his teleport-training–she noticed a slender young woman standing near the entrance. After paying for a book on physical intimacy, Hailey stuffed her purchase in her backpack and walked over to the Arrow on duty.

"Hi," she extended her hand. "We've never been properly introduced but I've seen you hang out near my building a couple of times."

The woman's sleek, light blond hair moved in an almost fluid motion when she looked down at Hailey's hand. She hesitantly extended her own hand and curtly shook, her grasp firm. "Aurelia Sera."

The corners of Hailey's mouth tugged. "I'm Hailey, but you probably already knew that."

Aurelia observed her quietly without responding. Hailey bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling. Aurelia's voice hadn't been flat, but bright. Hailey wondered if she could make the other woman speak a little more, curious about the life of a young woman in the Arrow Squad. "I wanted to go to one of the department stores down the street. Do you want to join me?"

It took several moments before Aurelia responded. "I'm unsure if that would be wise."

Hailey tilted her head sideways. "I know you're on duty but it might be less conspicuous if you come along. We'll just look like two women shopping." She smiled. "That'll hardly turn any heads, and you can keep me company."

Aurelia didn't speak during the walk to the department store, still, Hailey picked up some things about the young woman. She walked with confident strides, rocking her ripped jeans and studded black jacket. Her movements didn't look stiff, didn't look… Psy.

_And what's up with those Arrows and their leather-synth jackets? They could start their own jet cycle gang…_

Though, Hailey had to admit, she really liked the one James had gifted her.

While browsing some items on sale, Hailey looked up at Aurelia. "Do you like being on security detail?"

The other woman met Hailey's gaze while running her fingers over the material of a dark blue top. "I've been assigned by James. He hand-picked the team."

Hailey pursed her lips. "It must be kind of boring, standing and waiting all day for something to happen." By now, Hailey was getting bored with the situation a little as well.

"It's my job," the Arrow across from her said.

Hailey gave a rueful smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. I just figured that you guys are likely used to a little more action." She held up a silky red top. "This would look lovely on you."

Aurelia stared at the garment. "It would draw too much attention." She held up a black top of the same material.

Hailey shook her head. "At least pick a color." She hung the red top back and continued looking at the clothes on the rack while waiting for an answer.

"I prefer security duty over my previous position."

Again, Hailey bit back a smile. "What could possibly be less exciting than what you're currently assigned to do?"

When Aurelia didn't respond after several moments, Hailey walked over to another rack of clothing. She reminded herself that it had taken time for James to warm up to her as well. Not everybody would be able to speak as freely as Isobel, who had the advantage in social situations because of her E-abilities.

"I was an interrogator."

Hailey jerked at the layers of emotion contained in that statement. James had told her about anti-interrogation training. If that part of Arrow training had been the most brutal according to her tough-as-nails soldier, it was telling. The fact that Aurelia had to dish out the techniques used in training was probably as scarring as undergoing the torture herself.

_Shrill screams echoi–_

No.

Hailey clenched her fists and inhaled. Aurelia wasn't a monster. Not like Gordon. She was just a young woman trying to live her life; James would have never picked her for the team if there was reason to doubt Aurelia's loyalty.

After taking a few deep breaths, she met the striking amber of Aurelia's eyes. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to push."

Aurelia shook her head. "You didn't." She held up an aubergine-colored tube top.

Hailey's heart clenched as she was once again reminded of the terrible life these Arrows have had. They needed color and art and music in their lives. They had value aside from their abilities and training. They _mattered_.

She hid her sadness behind a bright smile. "Yes. Definitely that one."

Sweaty and tired, James teleported to Hailey's apartment after another day of honing his teleportation skills. Twilight was fading as darkness fell over New York, a warm summer's night approaching, the lights of the city as radiant as its inhabitant.

He'd cut his training session short, not wanting to leave Hailey alone when he knew she was uncomfortable at nighttime. The residual fear from her encounter with Gordon wasn't something he could magically take away from her, but she never seemed to have nightmares when he was around. Her unadulterated trust in him proved stronger than her trauma, and he'd make sure he was worthy of that trust.

Hailey had decided to visit Shane and Morgan in the hospital today, after which she'd had a lunch date with two former co-workers. James had received updates from the protection unit throughout the day. It had included a surprising report about her and Aurelia going on a shopping spree, the image one that had made him want to smile; Hailey was once again doing a stellar job breaking through the foundations of those around her.

Although the reports had put his mind somewhat at ease, James felt more content now he was back at her apartment, his body relaxing in a way it only did in Hailey's presence. He didn't want to crowd her, knew she wouldn't appreciate him 'bodyguarding her around', as she would say it, but she was his and _he_ wanted to keep her safe.

James called out her name over the soft music playing through the apartment when he didn't find her in the living room and moved to the bedroom after she replied.

"Jesus," was all he managed to say when he saw Hailey standing next to the bed. The space bathed in a soft, yellow glow from the holo-tealights she'd placed all over the room. To his knowledge, he had never cursed before, hadn't known how… It seemed Hailey's bad influence wasn't limited to his control but also affected his vocabulary.

_Yes, she's definitely doing a stellar job affecting those around her,_ he thought.

His mouth went dry when she walked over, her skin shimmering gold in the soft light, her hair falling in exuberant waves over her shoulders and down her back, her stride seductive and her smile inviting. "Welcome home, Mister Addison," she said huskily before rising on tiptoe and placing a soft kiss on his cheek, her hands braced on his chest.

_Home_. Yes, wherever she was, was his home.

"I've been waiting for you." The promises in those words threatened to make his Tk burst out, but James sucked in a deep breath and maintained control as best as he could.

He took one of Hailey's hands and stepped back so she could twirl around, giving him the opportunity to drink in every inch of her enticing body, caramel flushed with pink, clad only in the lingerie set he'd gifted her and a pair of knee-high boots with killer heels. Somewhere in the back of his mind James wondered how she was even able to balance on those impractical shoes, but the thought evaporated immediately when he saw what those heels did for her lower curves. Barely, _barely_, keeping it together, he turned Hailey with her back towards him, giving himself a little more time to run his eyes over her luscious body, her voluptuous cleavage in his direct line of sight when he looked down.

_I hope you like my surprise._ It was a soft telepathic whisper, the sound of her voice making him want to curse again. She looked over her shoulder and ran the tips of her fingers over her arm in a quintessentially feminine move, and it felt like she was touching him rather than herself.

James then realized Hailey was trying to make him feel better, trying to take his mind off the restlessness that hadn't settled ever since the visions started. The fact that she was fighting the darkness that was on the horizon–battling the darkness inside him–only made him want her more.

_I hope you'll surprise me more often_, he replied to the woman who understood him, who accepted his shadows and encased them in light.

He brushed her hair from her shoulder. "Sing a song for me, Miss Logan," he murmured in her ear.

"What would you like to hear?" Soft and filled with sensuality, her voice wrapped around him like a caress, making his body shudder and his erection pulse.

He pressed his lips to her nape. _Something befitting of my mood_, he requested as he brushed one finger across her spine.

Hailey shivered and began singing a song so obscene; the poetic lyrics were unable to create the suggestion of anything other than tangled limbs slick with sweat, feverish kisses and carnal pleasure.

James' lips kicked up when her voice turned raspy as he slid his hands around her waist and cupped her breasts, the mounds heavy and perfectly proportioned for his hands, like she was made for him, and him alone. She kept on singing softly, her body impatiently rubbing up against his, her hands squeezing his thighs possessively.

That night he unwrapped the lace from her body, gave her pleasure and took his fill as he sank into her, owned her like she owned him. Hailey surrendered to him in ecstasy while claiming him on the most primal, intimate level.

Her words still circled his mind as she slept in his arms an hour later. _I love you, James, all of you. You're mine._

Morgan was released from the hospital three days later. His recovery had been a swift one, due to the Forgotten telepath teaching Morgan shielding techniques. The telepath would still be staying at Shane's house for a couple of days, until it was certain Morgan could control his ability without external shielding around the clock.

Since it was also the night of the summer gala, Shane had decided to invite friends over so Morgan could enjoy their company for a little while before they went off to the actual event.

After calling Aiseline and telling her they'd meet at the dance–which had made Aiseline yell so loud, Hailey still heard a ringing noise in her ear an hour later–she quickly showered. James was on the rooftop of her apartment discussing the protection detail for tonight and would join her for both events.

Feeling fresh and clean, Hailey put on some music and started dressing. After sliding into her beautiful new emerald-colored gown, Hailey secured the top half of her hair with a few pins and applied some makeup to enhance her eyes.

When she looked into the mirror, she smiled at her reflection. Her brown eyes sparked with jade and gold, her cheeks covered with a light blush and her skin was radiant. She hadn't looked or felt this good in months. And it was all because of her Arrow.

He was the one who'd helped her control her ability, and even though she wasn't close to full control yet, her newfound focus gave her confidence. Besides that, James always looked at her as if she was some precious jewel, someone to be cherished. She loved the intensity of him, loved to challenge him, loved the depth of his feelings for her she could sense through their connection.

Hailey winked at her reflection and turned around to put on some simple but high black pumps. _Aiseline would be proud._

She picked a pair of delicate gold earrings consisting of small leaves secured with tiny hoops, matching the shackle detail of her dress.

Singing along loudly to a rock song, Hailey walked towards the kitchen to drink a glass of water. She took a glass out of the cabinet, filled it and put the cold liquid to her lips.

A rustling noise sounded behind her.

She placed the glass on the counter and slowly turned around. Sucking in a breath, her gaze met blazing azure blue irises ringed with midnight Prussian.

James had teleported in and looked absolutely _gorgeous_. He was wearing a tailored black on black suit, enhancing his athletic build and tall frame. It gave him a sophisticated elegance, her badass soldier, looking like he'd just stepped out of a classy men's catalogue–if you disregarded the lethal focus in his eyes and the danger that circled him like perfume. The fact that he still wore his combat boots made the look even sexier, an unintended fashion statement that added to the dark beauty of him.

_Dear God…_ _where did he even find a suit that fits him like a second skin?_

Hailey's mouth watered at the sight of him. All she wanted to do is strip him slowly and kiss every inch of his perfect body.

"How am I supposed to steal the show at the gala when you look _that _good?" Hailey pulled a face and walked towards him to kiss him. "You're going to give people a heart attack with your lethal beauty."

James bent forward a little–her high heels making up for some of their height difference–and held her nape, kissing her deeply and possessively. "I don't think that will be our main problem," he said before he ran his teeth over her lower lip. Hailey shuddered, grabbed hold of the lapels of his jacket.

_How so?_ she asked as she pressed her body against his and deeply inhaled his scent.

He brushed his knuckles over her cheek and cupped her jaw. _I'm not sure if I can let you go._

Hailey frowned and met his gaze, disappointment darkening her mood. She really, _really_ wanted to see her friends, her co-workers and the children again, but if James now decided it was too much of a risk, she'd listen to him.

Even though they'd gone out a couple of times at night, there would be a lot more people at the gala than at the sites they'd visited during their dates, therefore creating more difficulty in guarding her from threats.

"Why not?"

James' eyes softened at her quiet question. "Because," he brushed his thumb over her lower lip, "I'm not sure I won't break the legs of every man who dares to lay eyes on you."

Snorting, Hailey pushed at his chest. "You're terrible!" she exclaimed. "I thought you were going to tell me we couldn't go because of security reasons." Her lips quirked. "But that's a very creative way of telling me I look nice. Thank you."

James pulled her close for another kiss, hard and hot. Hailey was breathless by the time he pulled back. "The word 'nice' is inadequate." He rested his forehead against hers. _Alluring. Unique. Captivating._

Hailey shivered at his deep, dark voice inside her mind. The beautiful words he used to describe her with made her heartbeat flutter and butterflies race in her stomach. She kissed him and it was electric, jolts of passion and fire shooting through their connection when she laved her tongue against his.

"My handsome Arrow," she whispered against his lips.

He pulled back and brushed a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. _My beautiful Siren. _

Hailey smiled deeply at his affectionate nickname. _I like that you compare me with creatures that cause the downfall of men. _

James took her hand and pulled her along towards the front door. "Yes, you've done a stellar job corrupting me."

Hailey laughed as she grabbed her purse and a bag with a gift for Morgan. She thought he'd appreciate the colorful custom sneakers she'd bought at the small shop across from her apartment. Glancing at the card she'd added, she felt happiness crash through her. _New shoes for a new path to walk. _

Smiling, Hailey hooked her arm through James' and leaned into him as they walked towards the elevator. "What's the plan for tonight?"

The elevator made a pinging sound before the doors opened and they stepped inside. "Two Arrows will stay here," he said as the doors closed and the elevator started moving towards the basement. "The others are doing a security sweep at the school and at Shane's house."

Hailey arched her eyebrow and tipped up her head to look at James' handsome face. "Only a sweep?"

He inclined his head. "Yes. They'll leave when I arrive but will be back for another sweep every fifteen minutes."

Hailey nodded. She could live with that. The elevator doors opened, and they walked towards James' car. He drove them towards Shane's house just outside of town.

"You haven't had any other precognitions or knowings?" Hailey asked during the ride.

James shook his head when he stopped the car in front of a traffic light. "No. I already tried to trigger another vision but it's difficult to summon them because of my low-Gradient foresight." He continued driving when the traffic light turned green. "I've asked for a favor from the NightStar foreseers."

Hailey's eyebrows rose. "You did? Isn't it _really_ expensive to use NightStar's services?"

James inclined his head. "Yes, but that isn't an issue." He shot her a look. "Arrows do get salary; we just rarely spend it."

Hailey didn't want to think of James' bank account if he was able to pay for a service like foreseeing. She shook her head and watched the traffic soar past, the skyscrapers of the city glowing silhouettes against the starless sky. "Would milord be so kind as to elaborate on the subject?"

She felt a pinching sensation in her butt and squealed. Shooting James a faux death stare, she rubbed over the area where he'd used his Tk on her. The corners of his mouth twitched as he stared at the road. "My biological mother is a NightStar foreseer."

Hailey tilted her head to the side. "I didn't know that."

James shrugged a little. "I've only visited her twice before, when I was a boy. Though my father had custodial rights, there was a clause in the contract stating if I'd ever grow into my F-ability, the custodial arrangements would be revised. Foreseers need specialized training in order to harness the ability." He shot her a quick glance before continuing. "Every two years, I'd go to see her for a week to test the ability and assess my skills." Which meant he'd only seen his mother for two weeks in total before he'd been claimed for the Squad.

"I never had reason to contact her before." Because, Hailey thought as she read between the lines, that wouldn't have been permitted during Arrow training. Aside from that, they were practically strangers. But, if she'd had the opportunity, she'd be eager as hell to meet up the person who'd provided half of her DNA.

"What if you had been a powerful F?" Hailey asked in open curiosity.

James' face didn't betray anything. Neither could she sense anything through their connection as he replied to her question. "My mother would have gotten the bulk of the custodial rights and I would have been raised by the NightStar clan." He looked into the rearview mirror before overtaking a bus. "But my foresight is only 3.4 on the Gradient; my Tk is 9.8."

Hailey's eyebrows knitted together at James' clinical description. He sounded kind of uncaring about the idea that his life could have been so immensely different. Even though he'd told her he didn't regret the way his life had turned out, Hailey highly doubted if he would favor Arrow training under the Silence Protocol over being raised by the NightStar group. As far as she'd heard, NightStar's patriarch, Anthony Kyriakus, took very good care of his family.

"What was it like?" she asked as she drank in the sight of him, the deadly and beautiful man who held her heart in his big hands.

James' eyebrows furrowed a little. "She told me she wasn't able to trigger a vision either. She tried, but she's only a Gradient 5.6 foreseer–her main ability is backsight."

Hailey bit her lip to stifle her smile. The way James was speaking, his tone so factual, reminded her of the time when he'd claimed to be Silent. His response was yet another reminder that he'd come such a long way in a few months, yet he still wasn't used to speaking about his feelings.

"That's not what I meant," she clarified.

When James kept quiet for a long time, Hailey didn't push him. She didn't want to argue with him when they were about to spend some quality time together. Then a thought shot through her mind.

_Maybe he believes he is forced to utilize every resource he can in order to protect you? _

Hailey felt really guilty if that was the case. She didn't want him to do these kinds of things if they made him uncomfortable. No one got to force her Arrow into doing things he didn't want to do anymore, and she felt bad for cornering him because of his protective nature.

"It's not right, love," she whispered as she reached out and covered his right hand on the steering wheel. "Don't do things like this if you don't want to. Not for me, not for anyone but yourself."

He shot her an amused look, arrogance in those beautiful eyes, telling her all she needed to know. "I wanted to. For you," he shook his head when she would have spoken and moved his hand, placing it on her thigh, "but for myself as well." He gently squeezed. "My reasons weren't mutually exclusive." James drove over the bridge towards Brooklyn Heights before his voice filled the confined space of the car again. "I didn't expect it to affect me this much." Quiet words.

Hailey's heart clenched at his confession. _Sweet, protective man._ "What happened?"

James set the car to drive automatically before turning to her. "She… embraced me."

Hailey shifted in her seat and brushed her fingers over his jaw, the slight stinging sensation from the stubble making her toes curl. "Did it feel right?"

He frowned and thought about her question for a while before answering. "I think so. I barely know her." He took her hand and kissed the knuckles, sending a warm shiver though her body. "We have the same eye color."

Smiling, Hailey leaned closer and kissed him softly, her hands squeezing his muscled shoulders. "When you're ready, I'd like to meet her," she said as she traced the line of his jaw.

A puzzled look appeared in James' eyes. "Yes," he said slowly. "She said the same thing about you."

Hailey's eyes widened. "You've told her about me being your mate?" She grinned. "Oh, my. First impressions are kind of a big deal. I'd better be on my best behavior then."

He shot her a look as the car came to a halt several yards in front of Shane's house. "You don't have best behavior. You only have wild impulses and a bone-deep determination to drive me mad." A slow smile. "The time I held you down in the shower, that was you being on your best behavior."

Hailey let out a gasp in feigned surprise. "_Mister _Addison!"A verbal slap on the wrist. "I have only _ever_ been polite and civilized during the course of our interactions." She pretended to scowl. "For you to suggest otherwise would be utmost ungentlemanly behavior," she chided primly as she undid her seatbelt.

He had her in his lap so fast, Hailey wasn't quite sure how he'd done it. She laughed when he claimed her mouth in unadorned hunger.

_Are you suggesting I haven't been a gentleman?_ His hand ran from her waist to her breast, his touch possessive. Hailey wiggled in his lap as she tried to position herself in a way for her to reach him better, but the confined space left little room for alternatives.

"I apologize," she murmured against his lips, her hand curled around his neck, "I must have imagined the time when you made me beg you to fuck me." Absolute and deliberate coarseness on her end.

He pinched her nipple through the layers of clothing. "Miss Logan." A rebuke in that low, sultry voice. "That was hardly ladylike."

She sucked in a breath when he kissed her neck and continued molding her breast, delighted by their play… and his sensuality. "I never claimed nor promised to be a lady," her voice husky.

_Good, _he said as he dipped his head to kiss her again, _as long as you promise to keep… talking dirty, as you would say it._

His words made her grin, and she knew he loved her for who she was. He'd never said it, but the way his affection for her rippled through their connection made it clear enough.

"We need to go," she said with a sigh while running her lips over his jaw. "I'm going to need a little help."

James' lips twitched, and he lifted her and slid her back into her seat. After exiting the car, he walked around to open Hailey's door. She accepted the hand he extended and stepped out of the vehicle, the icepick heels of her pumps clicking on the street.

"Ah, so chivalry isn't dead after all. It seems you are a gentleman true." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rose to tiptoe and kissed him.

James' hands rested on her hips when she pulled back, his blue eyes blazing. "Careful, Miss Logan. Next thing you know I'll be buying you flowers and singing one of your Guilty Pleasure songs as a serenade."

The picture he drew made her laugh aloud. "Hmm, like some romantic idiot?" She kissed him deeply. _I'd choose a sparring session over a serenade any day. I love you for who you are._ Because he needed to know that._ Don't change a single thing about it. _She smoothed her hands over his shoulders and looked up. "Well, maybe watch the arrogance a little."

He leaned forward and bit down on her lower lip. "I will. The same day you watch that smart mouth."


	39. Chapter 37

37

"Oh, crap." Hailey snapped her fingers when they were about to step into the yard of Shane's house. "I forgot my purse and Morgan's gift, they're still in the car." She scowled at her scrambled thoughts. _This man seriously messes with your head! _ "I'll go get them."

James arched his eyebrow and Hailey mentally sighed at the sight of him.

_You should make him wear a suit more often, just so you can watch him take it off again_.

His deep voice snapped her out of her inappropriate thoughts, the heat from their kisses still warming her cheeks. "We'll go together."

She gave him a small smile and laced her fingers through his. Just then, a slight tremor rocked the ground underneath their feet.

James jerked.

Hailey looked up when James stared absently in the distance as he was processing whatever was happening.

_Was he having another vision? _

She softly squeezed his hand.

When he answered her unasked question, her skin pebbled. "There has been an explosion in the city. Possible terrorist attack. I need to get on site immediately. Nerida and Abbot are out of the running; they were on rotation yesterday."

"An explosion?" Her heart jerked in her chest, but Hailey decided not to hear him out about it right now. "I'll stay over at Shane's house." She felt her body tense at the idea of James being in the middle of such a dangerous situation, her stomach knotting and heart thudding a fast rhythm.

_This is what he does, Hales, _she reminded herself. _You better get used to it._

James brushed his knuckles over her cheek. "Don't leave until I send someone to pick you up. I'll send for one of the sentries to guard the premises." He stiffened again.

Hailey's heart clenched but she quickly rose on tiptoe and kissed him. "Go, they need you. Be safe."

James gave her a curt nod before the air around him shimmered. Within seconds, he disappeared.

Hailey squeezed the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger as she walked towards the car and punched in the code. A possible terrorist attack. Jesus. As if the world didn't have enough to deal with right now. Psy were only just recovering from the blows they took to the Net while humans were lashing out, fighting to find a way to make the world an equal place. When would it stop?

She bent forward to grab her purse and the bag containing Morgan's gift before turning around and walking to the house. She quietly prayed for James to be okay while she grabbed her phone out of her purse to check for any news about the incident.

Instead of knocking at the front door, Hailey automatically followed the narrow path to the back while reading live newsfeeds. She lifted her foot to first step of the stone stairs leading to the backdoor when an arm slung around her waist and another tightened around her neck, pulling her off the steps and into a dark corner of the garden.

Gasping and swaying on her heels, she released everything she was holding and used her Tk to boost the elbow she thrust in her attackers gut. Just as she made contact, Hailey felt a sharp sting against her throat.

_A knife. _

A groan sounded behind her as the blade slit through her skin. Hailey froze when she recognized the familiar aftershave penetrating her nostrils. Her heart boomed in her chest as warm drops slithered past her neck, down to her breastbone.

"I've been waiting for you," Matt's lips touched the outer shell of her ear. She closed her eyes and swallowed.

_Don't look into his eyes. Don't let him use his ability on you again. _

Inhaling deeply in order to calm her nerves and focus, she noticed Matt was moving behind her and clasping something around her wrist.

_Handcuffs?_

That would hardly hold her back from injuring him. Badly.

She bared her teeth, fury a roaring tornado barely contained. _Goddamn idiot_. All she needed was a small opening to twist and push out of his hold with her Tk.

Breathing past the rush of adrenaline, Hailey found her voice. "To do what, exactly?" _Distract him!_ the voice in her mind said as Matt tightly held onto her lower arm.

But he didn't move to clasp the second shackle around her other wrist. When his hold relaxed a little, Hailey lifted her leg to stomp the four-inch heel of her pump down on Matt's foot while wrenching away her upper body, boosting her movement with Tk. The knife would probably mark her skin a little, but as long as she was out of his hold, it didn't matter.

A searing stab slashed through her spinal cord.

Whimpering, Hailey's legs nearly gave in, the punishing spike slamming though her body hard enough to cause black spots in front of her eyes. Swaying, she heard Matt's soft chuckle as he dragged her along to the back of the yard while pushing the knife against her throat.

"Nah-ah, sweet Hailey," a smile in his voice, "you won't be using your Tk on me any time soon."

Heart thudding an irregular beat, Hailey tried to step onto the psychic plane to alert James. Another crashing wave of agony burned through her body. She jerked forward, causing the blade to dig deeper into her skin. Gasping, Hailey fought the panic building up inside of her.

_What the hell is happening?!_

Her scalp prickled when Matt laughed again. He held up her arm to show her a narrow metal bracelet. "Military grade tech," Matt said smugly. "It seems some humans don't like the fact that other races have psychic abilities." He brushed his thumb over her arm while nuzzling her neck. "Useful, isn't it?"

_No. He must be lying._

Hailey tried to step onto the psychic plane again, but sharp stabs in her head prevented her from making the connection. Grimacing, she watched the bracelet light up with a blue glow before dimming. The fire in her veins turned to ice, her breath stuck in her lungs.

"Don't be stupid, Hailey. If you just come with me and behave, I won't hurt you."

Somehow Hailey managed to restrain her urge to snap at Matt. That probably wouldn't sit well with him and right now he had the upper hand. She needed to get away from him as fast as possible. A thousand options tumbled through her mind, but she was near certain she wasn't strong or nimble enough to incapacitate Matt without her Tk. Matt was muscled, and she estimated he outweighed her by at least thirty pounds. Besides that, he was a lot taller than she was.

_Shit. _

The odds of her fighting him off were bad, to say the least. Hailey took as deep a breath as she dared with the blade still so close to her throat.

_Focus, Hales. Breathe and concentrate. You can outthink him. Just wait for the right opportunity. _

If she wasn't able to use her Tk or her connection to the PsyNet to contact James, the option of using her draining abilities was most likely also out the window. She glanced down at the narrow but heavy metal bracelet. She needed to remove it somehow. It was the only way to defend herself against Matt.

Somewhere in the back of her mind Hailey noted that time was a very relative construct. Rather than an hour, barely a minute had passed since the moment Matt pulled her away from the steps. The sentinel James had sent to watch over her had probably arrived by now. She thought about screaming for help but reconsidered it when she felt the knife rasp against skin of her throat. Matt was more than strong enough to do serious damage if he wanted to, and if she'd draw attention he'd certainly hurt her badly.

Ordering her chaotic thoughts, Hailey realized she had no idea why Matt was doing any of this. Was it payback for sending Devraj after him? Was this James' vision? It didn't feel like the right place, and Matt was the sole attacker.

When Matt stuck his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply, Hailey fought the urge to retch. "What are you going to do, Matt?" She kept her voice steady, deliberately using his name to connect with him, to see her as another human being he was hurting.

Matt kicked open the door to their left–leading to the carport–and exited the garden. Hailey saw a large black van standing next to the fence, underneath the carport.

This wasn't good. If Matt managed to take her somewhere, it was almost certain her chances of survival would narrow down to a few percent.

When he swung her around the corner, she almost fell due to her high heels, but managed to stay upright, the knife stinging against her skin again. Suddenly, Matt switched his hold and dug the blade into her right cheek while clasping his hand over her mouth. Hailey winced when he quickly slashed the blade over her skin twice. Blood trickled down her jaw. She tried to bite him, but he moved his hand away and clasped it around her throat hard enough to inflict severe pressure on her trachea, causing difficulty breathing.

"Nah-ah, Hales. Don't you try anything silly." His lips ran over her nape.

Hailey squeezed her eyes closed as she tried to breathe past the pain and the nightmares that were choking her as potently as Matt's hand. Matt gentled his hold on her throat while he continued speaking. "This," he dug the tip of the blade into her cheek again, "is for all the trouble you've caused me with Santos." Another slash across her face, slithers of blood wetting her skin.

"Maybe I should give you a taste of what your Psy did to me and break your arm." He let out a dramatic sigh. "Decisions, decisions…"

Rage a scorching fire, Hailey almost screamed at him but stopped herself when Matt held the point of the blade right under her eye.

"Be very, _very_ quiet, Hailey. If you'll be a good girl, I might not hurt you any more than necessary."

Her heart turned to ice at the insinuation that he believed cutting up her face was a necessity. _Keep him talking, stall him!_

"Okay," her voice a breathless croak. "I'll come with you. Where are we going and what can I do for you?"

Matt kissed the side of her neck. "That's more like it, Hales. You'd make for a good playmate if only you kept that sharp tongue of yours behind your teeth more often."

Standing in the shadow of the carport, Hailey ran her eyes across the street. The dull light of the street lanterns and the lack of sound wasn't promising. No one was here to help her.

Matt pulled on a lock of her hair. "Hmm. Are you going to give me everything you've given that Psy of yours?"

Hailey shuddered in disgust. She knew she'd been apprehensive of the protective detail at first, but where the hell were they right now?

She froze at another tremor underneath her feet, a muted blast rolling through the sky.

"Explosions," her voice a whisper. Mind reeling, Hailey felt nausea churn in her stomach, praying to God James wasn't anywhere near the second explosion. Then it dawned on her that the Arrows on duty must have gone to help the victims of the first strike and track down the perpetrators, and now there was a second blast. Even if there was an Arrow guarding the house right now, they'd probably assume she was already inside.

Matt barked out a laugh as he dragged her towards the van. "Yes, that was a nice touch, wasn't it?" The rear door opened automatically when they stood at the back of the vehicle. "You see, I've made some nice new friends after work hours. Apparently I'm not the only one who dislikes the Arrows, and if I was able to give them an Arrow, they would let me keep you." She could hear the pride in his voice, as if he'd thought out the perfect plan. "It's a win-win for all of us."

He pressed the knife horizontally against the skin of her cheekbone and she felt it cutting through the layers of her skin again. Hailey gritted her teeth but couldn't help letting out a small grunt at the sharp sting.

_Blood dripping from her hands. Begging voices inside her mind._

_No! Breathe! _

She had to stay calm and strong. For herself. For James. Matt was insinuating James was also at risk.

_Maybe James had been right about the interpretation of the first vision, that she would be used to bait him?_

Hailey had to get some information somehow in order to do something about her current situation. She tried to focus and kept her voice steady as she spoke. "Why would they want an Arrow? They'll never share their secrets."

_They'd rather die._

Hailey couldn't let that happen. She had to find a way out of this situation before James–or another Arrow–got hurt.

"You're not as smart as you like to act, are you?" Matt laughed and pushed the knife a little more into the skin of her cheek, cutting a deep line from her cheekbone to her jaw.

Hailey inhaled sharply through her teeth and felt drops of blood run past her neck, the scent of iron filling her nostrils. She squeezed her eyes shut to ban the dark memories of the other time where blood had dripped down her skin.

_You need to stay calm, Hales. Breathe._

"No, sweet Hailey. They don't want information. This is just their idea of the ultimate hunt."

All air was punched out of her lungs at Matt's words.

Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

"Are there actually people stupid enough to try to trap Arrows for the sole purpose of killing them?" Hailey's heart twisted in disbelief. James would always come for her, would always try to protect her. It was a comforting idea that the entire Squad would come to his aid, but how fast? Under the current circumstances, they would certainly be too preoccupied with the critical events in the city.

_Which is probably exactly why they are attacking the city._

Matt quickly slashed the knife down her face again; causing another deep cut and placed it an inch to the left. Hailey cried out at the sharp, painful sting.

"I told you to be nice." He angled the knife next to the corner of her mouth, his own mouth right next to her ear. "Next time you don't behave, I'm cutting here," he demonstrated by running the tip of the knife lightly from her mouth to her ear. "I'd like to keep your face pretty, but if you force me, I can't."

He moved the arm he was trapping her with, his hand resting on her breast now. Then he squeezed through the fabric of her dress. "Don't think I won't have my way with you even if you're a little marked."

Hailey nearly started screaming in rage, but for the knife pressed roughly against her throat again. Matt had proven not to back away from hurting her. One mistake, one slip up and she'd be injured so badly, she wouldn't be able to run to safety, wouldn't be able to protect James.

"I'm sorry," she coaxed, sickened by Matt but filled with enough adrenaline to disregard her injuries for now. "I'll behave."

If Matt put her in the van, at least she wouldn't have to deal with the threat of the knife anymore. Once she was inside, she could study the bracelet and figure out a way to get it off. And if she was able to manage that, finding a way out of the van would be easy.

She decided that option was the most likely to succeed. Hailey had no idea who these new friends of Matt were, but if they endorsed his current actions and weren't afraid to use explosives, she damn sure didn't want to meet them.

"I am very sorry for the next part," Matt drawled in a tone that didn't sound sorry at all as he pushed her against the bumper, "but I can't have you awake for the ride."

Matt lifted the hand that held the knife, and Hailey knew he was going to hit her head with the hilt to incapacitate her. The last thing she wanted right now was to be unconscious, but if she turned in his hold he would be able to use his abilities and she wouldn't be able to get away either.

_Use what you've learned! A hit against a stagnant object causes more impact than when you give in and redirect some of the force. _

Thinking quickly, she let him make contact with her skull while moving her head in the direction of the impact in order to reduce the hard blow to a more bearable hit. She slumped her head forward and fell with her upper body in the back of the truck like a broken doll. Fighting every instinct to break her fall with her arms in order to make her fainting convincing, she hit the hard, cold surface. The side of her head thumped on the metal, making a thudding sound and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from making a noise.

_Fuck! That hurt! _

Way more than she'd anticipated. But if she didn't get out of this situation fast, she was scared Matt could do things to her that would hurt more than a few cuts and bruises. She heard some voices in the distance. Matt cursed and quickly pushed in her legs.

When he slammed the doors of the van shut, Hailey dared to open one eye. Everything was dark, only a small window between the back part of the van and the driver's seat let in some faint light. She could make out Matt's silhouette as he sat down and started the car. When the van started moving, Hailey's body slid towards the doors.

_Good_.

Lying down was probably the best way to feel if there was a handle on this side of the door, one she could use to open it from the inside. She nearly rolled over when Matt turned the car. He drove like the devil himself was chasing him, and her body bounced on the hard surface.

Gritting her teeth, she wiped away a tendril of hair from her eyes and accidentally ran her fingers over the cuts on the right side of her face. Gasping at the sharp sting, Hailey tried not to think too much about the fact that her face had felt like minced meat as thick blood wet her fingers.

Seething with anger and using that as her fuel, Hailey ran her hands across the inside of the door. Unfortunately, this proved to be the more modern type of van that only opened when the driver had the code. Luckily, Hailey didn't need a code.

_Okay. Now, check out the bracelet. _

Hailey lifted her arm and watched the heavy iron band with use of the dim light of the small window. It had no obvious hinges and she failed to figure out how Matt had gotten it around her wrist in the first place. When she twisted her arm, she couldn't even find the seam of the clasp. Frowning, she tried to pull the shackle over her hand, but it proved to be too narrow.

_Fuck!_

Anxiety unfurled in her chest and slammed down her hope of getting out of the moving vehicle. Perhaps James had felt her shock through their connection when Matt grabbed her in the garden, though chances were high he was too predisposed to have noticed. Maybe the Arrow guarding Shane's house was aware of her absence by now, but without her abilities or her phone she wouldn't be able to contact anyone. The van didn't have windows, so she couldn't sign at other road users that she was in danger–which got her back to the starting point; getting the bracelet off somehow.

How on earth was she going to–

_Oh! Of course!_

Hailey nearly face-palmed herself. Lifting her leg, she pulled off her pump and sat up a little, warily glancing to the front of the van to make sure Matt didn't see her move. When she was certain he wasn't paying attention to her, she looked at the elegant suede footwear in her hand.

If she tried using the icepick heel as a chisel while bracing her arm on the bottom of the car, Matt might hear her efforts to break the device and would incapacitate her for real this time.

Holding her arm steadily in her lap, she lifted her shoe and forced herself to keep looking at the bracelet while slamming the heel down.

A sigh of relief escaped her lungs when the heel made impact with the metal. The sharp tap was barely noticeable through the humming of the vehicle. She quickly looked up and through the window, to see Matt still focused on the road. Lifting the bracelet into the faint light, she moved it around until she saw the small dent from the impact.

Placing her arm back into her lap, Hailey lifted the shoe again and slammed down.


	40. Chapter 38

38

The site of the explosion was total chaos. James had used a visual lock to teleport himself to the mosque, where one of the minarets had collapsed. Dust and smoke made it hard to see past a few yards, but he could make up the raging fire glowing inside the building. People were running away from the site, pulling along their injured. The air was filled with screams, coughs and cries, the putrid smell of death and disaster a familiar one.

An elderly man bumped into James, stumbling as he tried to keep his hold of a small woman, her left temple covered in blood, smudging the side of her yellow headscarf. James ignored the fearful gaze the man shot him.

"I'll carry her," he said in Arabic, "you're also injured." The surge of adrenaline probably prevented the man from taking notice of the deep gash in his upper thigh, the fabric of his pants torn, clinging to his blood-soaked skin.

Dark eyes widened in surprise and the man gave James a shaky nod. "_Šukran_."

James lifted the small woman while telepathically connecting with Vasic. Vasic had telepathed James and the rest of the Arrows on duty as soon as the director of the EmNet, Silver Mercant, had contacted him.

All telekinetic Arrows had been requested to assist on site while other members of the Squad set down a perimeter. Zaira was leading the team to hunt down the perpetrators after receiving a number of corresponding profiles from the crowd. Having Sione–one of the Squad's best trackers–at her side would help find the perpetrators as fast as possible.

Ambulances, trauma helicopters Enforcement and the fire brigade would take four to six minutes to arrive on site. In the meantime, a part of the street was cleared to treat victims who immediately required medical assistance.

A changeling female, the red-brown of her eyes indicating her as one of the tigers, was shooting commands at several bystanders while clasping her hands around the neck of a young male. His face was drenched of color, blood gushing through the fingers of the medic.

James lowered the human female on one of the blankets and briefly inclined his head to the elderly man. He rose and ran towards one of his Squad members who was handing out fire-proof gear.

"Status?" he asked as he quickly shrugged off his suit jacket and stepped inside the lightweight overalls, happy that he'd listened to the urge compelling him to wear his boots when he'd dressed for the gala.

"Unknown. We're waiting for an update from the Em-Net," Ella answered.

Nodding and zipping up a jacket of the same fire-proof material, James ran towards the panicking mass.

_All Tk Arrows are to wait for instructions from building engineers before moving any debris. _

James set his jaw. Moving pieces of rubble before calculating whether the structure was strong enough to endure the shifting weight could cause the entire building to collapse. It was counterintuitive to wait, yet following Vasic' order was critical to ensure the least amount of casualties.

While waiting for Vasic' next command, James looked up when he caught wings filling the sky, the Eagle changelings flying to the rescue of the humans in their domain. The changeling Eagles were far larger than their animal kin; James estimated the wingspan of the largest changelings were over five yards.

Several eagles swept down in pairs of two, working cohesively as a seamless unit, placing their large talons around the upper arms of civilians, pulling them up and out of the danger zone. The large wingspan of the eagles made the rescues all the more impressive, since they didn't tangle their wings once.

_ETA of the engineers is two minutes_, Vasic informed James and his brethren. _In the meantime, assist as many injured outside of the building i–_

A loud snapping sound momentarily muted the chaos around him, the ground shifting underneath his feet. James looked up to the second minaret that was collapsing. Raising his hands, he tried to catch the structure with his Tk, but the plascrete was far too heavy for him to lift by himself. The screams and cries around him intensified when the tower fell–not with as much speed as it would without James holding the structure up, yet still too fast.

A heartbeat later, three of his fellow Tk Arrows stood next to him, including a cardinal soldier. Together they managed to place the pieces of the tower on the ground. When a mental notification pinged in James mind, he left his fellow Arrows to tend to the structure on this side of the mosque while he ran through the panicking mass of people towards the northwest corner of the burning building, where Evan was trying to smother the flames with his telekinesis.

_I'm going in_, he telepathed to Vasic while encasing himself in a Tk shield. _The fire department just notified they are stuck in traffic. _Without speaking, James assisted Evan, both of them using their Tk to harness the blazing flames licking against the sides of the building.

_Cover me,_ James telepathed to Evan before leaping through an opening. In the midst of the flames, he saw two small girls crouched in the center of a large hall. He jerked when he felt a flash of fear surging through his connection with Hailey. She'd probably been able to reach a comm by now and would have seen the death and destruction he was facing right this moment.

Putting her worry aside for the moment, James encased the small girls in his telekinetic shield. His heart kicked when one of the girls made eye contact, memories of two other helpless girls pushing through his focus. Inhaling, James lifted the smallest girl, muttering reassurances and took the hand of the other. Pulling the oldest girl along, he led her through the hall and towards the opening as fast as he could.

When the girls were safely outside–a medic having taken over the small girl that clung to him–James turned to run into the building again. He jumped through the opening when the ground shuddered as a loud bang roared through the sky. James could telekinetically feel the pulse of the shockwave from a second explosion fill the air.

Another surge of anxiety and fear rippled through his connection with Hailey before her feelings were cut off. His mate was probably aware of the fact that he could sense her fear and that her emotions would distract him. Realizing it must be hard for her to know he was in the midst of danger, James decided to send her a quick reassurance. Before he could leap back through the opening and connect to her, a loud snap sounded.

Blocks of plascrete fell in front of his feet, and he was barely able to deflect one of the falling pieces of debris from hitting his head when the ceiling gave in.

"James!" Evan's shout was hardly audible over the roaring blaze of the fire. James pushed the ceiling up with his Tk as he searched for a space where to shove the heavy weight of the structure. When he finally saw a clear spot on the lawn, he lowered the rubble while keeping the rest of the building steady with his Tk. Trickles of sweat ran past his temples as he steadied a wall almost falling on top of a man still inside the building, limping towards the opening Evan had created.

_Can you take over?_ James asked Evan as he tried to let Hailey know he was fine. He hadn't expected her to be this worried–not when she would be able to sense that he was alright through their bond.

The younger man shook his head. _The structure will collapse too quickly, my Tk is mainly useful on a molecular level._

James frowned when he sensed nothing whatsoever from his mate, his shirt clinging onto his torso while perspiration formed on his nose, the heat of the flames engulfing the air. He didn't like Hailey closing herself off from him, even if it did blur his focus; he'd experienced the sensation previously when she'd been training her shielding abilities. Dividing his attention between keeping the walls of the mosque up and contacting Hailey, he quickly entered the PsyNet. When he reached out to touch his bond to her, everything around him went quiet for a moment.

Their bond, her star… they weren't there.

"Telepath Vasic to send someone to help you!" He growled out the order, torn between his need to check up on Hailey and his faltering brother next to him, Evan's cheekbones starting to cut through his skin, burning up his psychic powers by using his Tk to pull the oxygen out of the air around the flames, smothering the fire.

_Maybe she's consumed alcohol, disturbing the connection momentarily? _While it was a perfectly reasonable explanation, James couldn't stop the need from making sure she was safe. The darkness within stirred at the emptiness, instantly missing Hailey's warmth and light.

To James' surprise, Kaleb Krychek teleported in ten seconds later. He shot the cardinal a glance. "There are still people inside," he said before releasing his hold on the structure. To Krychek's credit, he didn't hesitate and held the walls in place while Evan continued to use his Tk to extinguish large patches of fire.

James didn't waste another second as he locked onto Vasic' face and teleported to his second in command. "There's something wrong." He connected to the PsyNet again. "I can't see Hailey anymore," he said, his voice gritty while his heart rate quickened, the loud beat pulsing in his ears. "I can't sense her anymore." He quickly slid off the fire-proof jacket and overalls before wiping sweat off his brow, his shirt pasted to his body from the heat and use of his psychic abilities.

Vasic tore his eyes away from the datapad where pictures of victims were sent to, giving him a facial lock to teleport them out of their trapped positions.

"Your vision?" Vasic asked while holding onto his gaze. James felt a slight tremor pass through his frame.

"I don't know." He tried to control his elevated heartbeat but found it to be impossible as he used the hologram on his watch to locate the tracking devices he'd put in Hailey's shoes. All dots lit up at the coordinates of her apartment.

_Of course. _

She wasn't wearing her sneakers tonight. He placed a call to her phone, only to get connected to her voicemail.

"If someone is able to use her for her abilities the consequences could be catastrophic… especially now," Vasic said, his face grim. "Go."

James immediately teleported to Shane's house, using Shane's face as a lock. If Hailey had consumed alcohol and it was the reason for their connection to falter, she'd rip his heart out for leaving the innocent people at site of the explosions. James had no intention of kick starting that discussion if he'd be able to check up on her more stealthily before returning to Manhattan.

Shane jerked upright from his leaned back position against a wall in the kitchen when he saw James, having stared at the entertainment comm broadcasting a live feed of the events in the city. The female Shane had been speaking to let out a startled cry.

James ignored her as he locked eyes with Shane. "Where is she?"

The confusion on Shane's face made James' darkest nightmare come to life. Before Shane answered, James already knew what he was going to say. "Hailey? I haven't seen her yet."

James' heart stopped beating for an instance as a sensation shuddered through his frame.

_Fear_.

Raw and clawing, fighting to take over his control. James glanced at his watch.

"I thought she said you guys were coming over together." Shane's face turned pale when James found his voice again.

"I dropped her off six-and-a-half minutes ago." He didn't waste time speaking to the man who obviously could give him no further information. Using Hailey's face as a lock, he deeply inhaled and initiated the travel.

Nothing happened.

_No! _

His heart a drumbeat in his ears, James looked up at Shane. "Can you sense her through the ShadowNet?" Perhaps there was something blocking only _his_ connection to Hailey, not her connection to others.

Shane shook his head, his eyes wide as the full scale of Hailey's disappearance dawned on him. "I haven't been able to see her on our Net since you guys mated."

Keeping his Tk on a tight, tight leash, James teleported back to Vasic.

"I can't use her face as a lock."

Vasic frowned for an instance before his jaw became a tight line. "The only time I wasn't able to lock onto a face was when someone's appearance had changed too much." Vasic' grey eyes were clouded with an emotion James couldn't make up.

James' voice raised in anguish. "What aren't you telling me?" Inhaling to find some form of control, James stepped onto the Net again, to find only emptiness where his mate's bright star was supposed to be.

Vasic' tone was ice cold. "If the change in her appearance is sudden, there's a good chance someone brutalized her face, similar to the BlackSea changelings the Consortium tried to hide."

Fury tore through James' body as he thrust his hands through his hair, the thought of someone maiming Hailey making his Tk almost impossible to harness. For the first time in his life he wanted to scream to let the rage out somehow.

_You have to focus. You have to stay calm for her._

He travelled back to Shane's house, to the exact location where he'd kissed Hailey goodbye before teleporting to the explosion site.

"Jesus!" Shane exclaimed while lowering his fist. Apparently, he'd had the wits to look for Hailey outside as well. He met James' eyes. "You didn't find her." Shane's voice was quiet, his bright green eyes darkening with worry.

James looked inside the vehicle he'd used to drive to Shane's house. Hailey's purse and her gift for Morgan were missing. He walked towards the house while meticulously inspecting the street for any sign of Hailey's disappearance.

He remembered feeling her anxiety, how he'd mistaken her fear for worry. _She hadn't been worried_. _She'd been in danger. _As soon as the thought passed his mind, James knew it was true.

When he went to check the front yard, Shane called out.

James ran around the house to find Shane standing on a narrow path several yards away from the back entrance. Shane scowled at him. "Why were you at the front door?" Before James could respond with a rather obvious answer, Shane added, "Hailey is family. She always uses the back door."

James realized it was one of the many subtleties in human behavior Psy weren't familiar with. He'd believed her safe because he'd done a telepathic scan of the street before leaving. It had shown no signs of people outside of their houses, and the Arrow he'd ordered to stand guard was probably mainly scanning the front of the house for threats. James shoved the piece of information somewhere in the back of his mind for future security purposes as he looked at Shane's hand.

_Focus. She needs you to remain calm, sharp and ruthless. _

"Her phone." Shane held up the sleek device, the print of music notes on the cover confirming Shane's observation. James did a telepathic scan of the garden but found no one in the darkness. He inspected the tiles on the narrow path while telepathically reaching out to the Arrow on guard duty.

_There's been no movement on this end of the street, Sir,_ the young male informed him, confirming James' suspicions that even though the Arrow had circled the premises, he'd mainly stood guard near the front entrance.

Using the light from his watch, he saw Hailey's purse and the gift bag lying on the ground in a dark corner of the garden, where a curved maple tree and some large hedges would have hidden the attacker from Hailey's view. He aimed the beam of light on the ground and could make up large footprints and small, circular holes in the ground. The footprints were only a few steps away from the small stairs leading to the back door.

She'd almost been safe. Almost.

If he'd only taken the time to walk her to the door. If he'd only waited until she was safely inside. Guilt clawed heavily at him, metal talons raking through his chest.

James inhaled and summoned every ounce of his tracking skills. He couldn't change the past, but he could–and swore he would–change the outcome of the future.

No one would take Hailey from him.

Leashing the darkness inside that was calling out for blood, shouted at him to kill everyone who'd dare to touch her, James drew in another deep breath. He turned away from the entrance and searched the narrow pathway. When something on the light stones caught his eye, he walked over and crouched down. He touched one of the dark, circular drops with the tip of his finger. The bright red color confirmed his suspicion.

_Blood._

Following the trail of droplets, he walked through the open door of the fence, leading to a carport. Streetlights bathed the road behind Shane's house in a soft, yellow glow, and James _saw_, knew then that this was his vision.

Ignoring the sensation crushing his chest, he went on his haunches and reached for a strand of the sparkling fine gold chain that had decorated Hailey's dress, next to a puddle of splatters in deep, dark scarlet.

Three minutes in, six small, round, purple-red bruises colored her lower arm. More bruises would probably be visible on her thighs. Grimacing when the heel made impact with the skin of her forearm rather than the narrow band again, Hailey nearly slung the pump through the back of the van.

While begging the universe to strike Matt down with a lightning bolt right this second, she lifted the shoe again. When it came down on the bracelet this time, a crack appeared on the side. Hope and excitement surged through her just before a shard stabbed in her head and the bracelet lit up.

_No!_

Slamming down the heel one more time, she covered the sparks of the electronics inside the bracelet with her body, shielding the light from Matt's view. Hailey yanked the device from hell off her wrist and shoved it inside her bra after making sure it was definitely broken. James would want to take a look at it, as would Aden.

If humans were able to use this device on anyone within an arm's length reach, it would definitely level out the playing field–dangerously so. Hailey shuddered at the idea of someone being able to get a similar device on, for instance, Kaleb Krychek, who was currently holding the PsyNet together by repairing damaged zones. Millions would die. James would die.

_Hell no!_

Bracing her hands on the floor to stop from falling–Matt was still driving like a madman–she inhaled and exhaled a couple of times. The van came to a sudden halt and Hailey lurched forward, nearly busting her nose on the back door. Able to balance herself in time, she shot a quick glance to the small window to see Matt had stopped in front of a traffic light.

_Come on! It has to be now!_

Hailey steadied herself when Matt drove off again and _focused_.

_Think of how you feel when you run. _

The van tilted to the left and Hailey's body smacked against the side of the vehicle. Wincing, she pushed herself upright and slipped on her shoe. She heard Matt's muffled voice sounding through the space but couldn't make out the conversation. When the van turned again, she used her Tk for support and tried centering herself again.

Hailey thought of all the laps she'd ran, the crisp wind against her face, her feet pounding on the emerald grass of the small training field in the valley. She inhaled. The feeling of James' deep voice inside her head, telling her how to use her Tk in unison with her body. Exhaled. His telekinetic touch encasing her, keeping her safe. Inhaled.His big, warm hands on her hips. Exhaled. His azure blue eyes, sparking with humor. Inhaled. The scent of oak moss and sandalwood. Exhaled. The feeling of home, of belonging and love.

Slamming out her hands, she burst out her Tk against the doors. A loud bang echoed through the back of the van as the doors were wrenched out of their hinges. They flew through the air and landed on the street with a loud crash. Streetlights bathed the back of the truck in a yellow glow. Hailey squinted to help adjust her eyes to the sudden change in light and pushed herself up to a standing position.

She didn't hesitate for a single moment when the van started swinging from left to right. She jumped out, boosting her jump with her Tk and barely managed to avoid an oncoming car as she fell.

Encasing herself in a telekinetic shield, she smacked onto the asphalt. Her shield didn't hold up after the initial impact and Hailey felt the skin on her elbows scrape against the rough surface as she covered her head with her arms. A raw grunt escaped her throat as she rolled sideways to avoid the traffic, ripping sounds all around her. After rolling several times, she managed to come to a stop, belly flat on the street.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered the van coming to a screeching halt, but Hailey was too preoccupied with the pain burning her skin. Every inch of her body felt bruised when she tried to get up, her dress torn to pieces and her shoes lost somewhere when she jumped.

Hailey scanned her surroundings and saw she was at an industrial area close to the docks. Several large warehouses stood close, but besides the three cars that had come to a sudden halt when she'd jumped out of the van, there was no one in sight.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Matt leaping out of the vehicle.

_Don't look into his eyes!_

Quickly averting her gaze, Hailey slowly pushed herself up, clenching her jaw as she willed her battered and bloody body to _fight_. When she turned around, she saw people stepping out of their cars to assess the situation. The rest of the road was uncharacteristically quiet.

_Roads must have been blocked in order for the Arrows to pursue the perpetrators of the explosions. _

While that thought flashed through her mind, Hailey angled her head towards the city center. She could see smoke circling above multiple points of New York, a glowing cloud of white and grey.

_Jesus._

How many people were injured because of the insane idiots who wanted to get their kicks out of hurting people? Heart slamming in her chest, she turned to the spectators who had stepped out of their vehicles.

"Quick!" Hailey yelled, "call the Arrows, Enforcement, the Eagles, _anybody!_"

A short woman with sleek red hair stepped closer towards Hailey, the heels of her shoes clicking on the asphalt. "Come with me, I'll drive you to a hospital," her flat voice indicating her as Psy.

Shaking from shock and adrenaline, Hailey almost covered the distance. Then she recalled where she'd heard the sound of clicking heels before and noticed the taser in the woman's hand.

_The vision!_

Hailey leaped as to run and immediately felt her ankle give in. The fall after the jump must have twisted it somehow, but she'd been too amped up to notice. Not wanting to make herself more of a defenseless target by being on the ground, she used her Tk in order to stop herself from falling. Blood drizzled down her forearms, her skin shredded due to the fall. When she set her feet a little more apart in order to regain balance, she noticed sharp stings from her right leg. Without looking down, she knew her skin there was shredded as well, thick crimson beading on her thigh, slithering down her calf.

Two men stood next to another vehicle, one looked maybe fifty and was bald. The other man was younger, closer to Hailey's age. Together, they moved towards her without speaking.

Hailey's eyes shot to the people who'd gotten out of the third car, and she noticed the cardinal eyes of the tall, dark skinned woman who watched her together with her equally tall male companion. A shiver ran through Hailey's spine when they all kept staring at her.

_What the hell is wrong with these people?!_

Fear jolted through her system when she saw the spectators make eye contact with each other. The cardinal then returned her gaze to Hailey… and smiled.

_Fuck! They're all working together._

Heart racing in her chest, Hailey tried to reach James again now she was able to use her powers again, but failed when she saw the two men and red-haired woman close her in.

Summoning a boost of Tk, she _pushed_ against the car of the tall couple, slamming it against the two men nearing her. The bald man jumped back in time to avoid the vehicle.

The younger man wasn't as lucky. The car smashed against him, slamming him backward against the vehicle he'd exited. A shrill cry and a sickening cracking sound were the only things Hailey registered before returning her attention to the woman on her right.

Just when she wanted to reach out with her draining ability, she saw a shadow lunging towards her from the corner of her eye. Shoving Matt away while he was mid-air, he fell to the asphalt.

The bald man stirred, and Hailey slammed out a telekinetic shield, her subconscious having picked up that he was carrying a weapon. The laser fire was deflected by her shield, a nearly painful white flash lighting up the protective cocoon around her. Slamming out her hand, she targeted a blast of Tk to the man's hand, causing his weapon to fly through the air and land with a hard clash somewhere on the plascrete. Her shield started to falter, and Hailey felt her head thud, her mind straining from the extreme use of her telekinesis.

Right then, Hailey was hit with the most painful blast she'd ever experienced–which was telling, considering her recent torturous encounter. Electricity jolted through her system as her body convulsed. She fell to her knees, her skin breaking as soon as she slammed on the asphalt, the thin material from her dress hanging in shreds down her thighs.

Releasing a soundless cry, she realized the red-haired woman had used the taser on her. Her muscles locked and the feeling was agonizing, tearing through her beaten body.

When it was finally over, Hailey slumped to the ground. Panting, she tried to think herself out of this situation but her mind was hazy from pain, her thoughts unfocussed.

Footsteps approached.

_No! It doesn't get to end like this!_

Blinking in an attempt to clear her head, Hailey saw the bald man and red-haired woman standing over her, while the tall couple were watching the scene play out from several yards away. The tall man was holding a mobile comm device and was shooting nervous looks at the cardinal woman across from him. Hailey briefly closed her eyes.

_Five to one odds. It doesn't sound too bad if you put it like that…_

"We should kill her now. She's seen too much, she'll be able to identify us." The tone of that voice sounded entirely practical, convincing Hailey the bald man was also Psy.

She opened her eyes and tried to think past the pain burning through her body. Breath still coming in choppy, she recalled what James had told her and shown her in the visions. A Tk or Tp that held her down while she was tortured.

"We made a deal," the woman said. "The human gets to have her. Besides, we still need her for the Arrow."

_James. They're talking about James! _

Hailey bit her lip to stop herself from crying. She wanted to hold him, wanted to tell him how much she loved him before she was forced to leave him. Because it was going to happen. One way or another, these people were going to kill her. Hailey closed her eyes again and tried to grasp hold of her connection to James one more time.

_I'm so sorry, love. I'm so sorry it won't be forever. _

Hailey opened her eyes to see the man and woman still discussing their next course of action. She scanned the street to find nothing but a few sober looking buildings and returned her attention to her attackers. They didn't even seem to care they were discussing her murder in the middle of the street.

Something clicked inside her mind.

_The psychopaths in the Net._

What else could it be? These people didn't seem to know about her draining ability, otherwise they'd never risk to standing so close to her. Besides that, their focus seemed to be on capturing an Arrow. Hailey recalled Matt's words.

"_This is their idea of the ultimate hunt." _

Shuddering, she tried to focus, tried to find her center, but her concentration was disturbed when the bald man reached down and hauled her up.

_Telepath._

No moderate to high-level Tk would have touched her if they could have used their ability.

"Get your fucking paws off me." Hailey tried to push her weary body out of his hold, but her Tk failed her. The man dragged her towards the redhead's car. Hailey mentally prepared herself for the storm of voices inside her mind as she reached out with her draining ability. Just when she located the man's psychic presence, the air shimmered a few yards in front of her.

A handsome, tall man with blond hair and azure blue eyes appeared, his shirt clinging to his skin, sweat and black streaks on his face, his hair mussed as if he'd ran his hands through the short waves.

Hailey let out a small sob at the sight of James, relief and fear combined. When his gaze locked with hers, she saw violent storms of fury reflected in his eyes.

The man that held her gasped and released her; his body unnaturally frozen. Hailey swayed, but felt a familiar touch of Tk encase her while the man squealed an animal-like sound before slumping to the ground. Hailey heard snapping noises, like a thick piece of plas was being crushed, followed by another shriek from the man. She looked over her shoulder and saw his eyes roll back in his head, blood bubbling out of his mouth.

Hailey limped towards James while the redhead was backing away to her car, her eyes nervously shooting to the tall couple a few yards away from her, but James was far too quick. He lifted her with his Tk and smashed her onto the asphalt.

With lightning speed James moved towards her and enclosed her in his arms, one hand wrapped around her back and the other fisted in her hair. _You're safe. I'm here._

_I'm so glad you found me. _Hailey's heart nearly burst apart as she wrapped her arms around him, keeping her eyes open, because the threat? It wasn't gone yet.

Even though the cardinal or her male companion hadn't made a move yet, it didn't make them innocent. From the glances the others had shot the tall Psy woman, Hailey deduced she was running the show… and a cardinal was more powerful than either her or James was.

James' chest was rising and falling in a faster rhythm than usual, and Hailey knew he must have spent significant energy during the explosions.

James set his booted feet apart, tucked her closer to his body. She looked up to see white-hot rage scorching in his eyes when he scanned her face.

A click sounded to their left, a sound Hailey had heard in many movies... someone was pointing a gun at them.

"Good. You're here. Now my friends and I can finish the deal and go our separate ways." Matt's voice sounded odd.

Echoing. Coaxing.

_He's trying to use his abilities_, Hailey warned James, _don't look into his eyes._

While either one of them could easily knock the gun out of Matt's hand, they'd have to be looking in his general direction to make sure the telekinetic blow would land.

James kept his gaze on the tall man and cardinal woman who were still standing quietly next to each other. Hailey reached out with her draining powers to try and sense whatever ability they had. The man's psychic presence was hardly noticeable, like he was weakened. He was shivering, his teeth chattering, his skin layered with sweat. Hailey disregarded him and focused on the dark-skinned cardinal.

_We need to be careful of her. She's very powerful, _Hailey told James.

James' hand tightened in her hair. _So am I. _The air around them shimmered, a sign of James using his Tk-shield, while he slammed down a protective black framework around her mind, similar to the shield he'd used when she'd been at the valley, only stronger.

"Just give me Hailey," Matt said gently, "and I won't shoot you."

Hailey leaned into James and realized she was close to fainting, the adrenaline gradually leaving her bloodstream. She was weakened by the significant amount of blood loss due to the knife wounds and fall on the asphalt when she'd jumped out of the van. If the attackers managed to injure her more, she could go into shock. But more importantly; her psychic muscles were strained. There was barely more than a whisper of Tk in her system. She wasn't sure about the draining part of her abilities, since her abilities didn't necessarily work in unison.

Still, it didn't look good.

James would probably be able to fight off Matt, the cardinal and the tall man, but that calculation didn't include Hailey as a burden for him to protect whilst fighting. More importantly, Hailey saw two vehicles approaching fast. There was a good chance the people in the car had been called by the tall man moments ago.

"Come on, you Arrow bastard," a smile in Matt's soft voice, degradingly mollifying, "give Hailey to me and I'll make sure nothing bad happens to her."

_I'm teleporting us right now._

Hailey's eyes snapped up at James. _You can't. I think these people are responsible for the attacks in the city. If you try to get me somewhere safe, chances are they'll get away. _

Hailey felt the violent storm of emotions through their connection but stood her ground. There was no way she'd let these terrorists disappear in some dark hole just to pop out and pull another stunt like this again. She couldn't–wouldn't–put other people, other Arrows, at risk like that. It had to stop, right now.

James' gaze was pure ice, and Hailey could feel the rejection burning through his body–which made his answer surprising. _We need to hold them off for four minutes maximum. There's a rapid response team coming this way as we speak, and I'm sending location images to other teleport-capable Tk's._

She clenched her hands on his shirt. Four minutes.

_Alright. _She'd give him that. _Together._

Right then, the cardinal stirred, and Hailey felt a sting in her mind; the cardinal's Tp powerful enough to break through the framework James had wrapped around her mind. Hailey clenched her jaw and concentrated on blocking the attack while Matt closed in on them, circling them in order to make eye contact.

"Hurry the fuck up." Such odd words when spoken so sweetly, so gently and pacifying, Matt having almost reached their front.

James telepathically shot her several commands and Hailey curtly inclined her head in acknowledgement while keeping her eyes on the cardinal telepath, focusing on strengthening her own shields enough to endure the telepathic attack for a few more moments.

_Three. _

James' deep voice in the walls of her mind.

_Two._

Resolve filling her heart.

_One._

Inhaling deeply before leaping away to run for one of the large warehouses, Hailey sent a telepathic kiss to James. _I love you. _

She used the last of her Tk to do as James had instructed, wrapping it around her ankle to steady her paces and using it to get away as quickly as possible. A shot sounded from behind her, and Hailey winced but kept on running while deflecting the telepaths' efforts on the mental plane. With the amount of Tk James had in his skill set, he would easily be able to deflect a bullet, so she didn't have to worry about that threat.

Heaving, Hailey reached a large, grey building right before she heard another shot. She jerked when a hole was punched through the plascrete wall next to her but kept her eyes on her goal. A narrow ladder was connected to the outside of the building. Hailey quickly climbed on top of it as fast as she could with gritted teeth, favoring her ankle.

Panting and dizzy, she reached the top of the roof and felt the telepathic battering against her mind stop. Her heart boomed in her chest, beating so fast it hurt. Only when she was certain no one had followed her did she dare to move to the front of the warehouse, her movements draggy, blood trickling down her arms and legs.

Closing her eyes briefly to tell the nightmare in her head to go fuck itself, she quietly crouched down to peer over the edge of the building onto the street. Dark shadows moved swiftly in the dim light; James distinguishable due to the fluid grace of his movements as he fought off the attackers using a combination of his Tk and hand-to-hand combat techniques.

James had incapacitated the tall male and two others Hailey didn't recognize, probably the people who'd sat in the approaching cars. Three others she didn't know and Matt–without his gun–closed a circle around James. Her heart froze when she realized the response team would never arrive in time to help him. And her blood turned to ice at the idea of any of them putting a bracelet on James; if they'd manage to do so, he'd be defenseless against Psy abilities.

Her protective Arrow had sacrificed himself in order to let her run away.

A beautiful, deep voice whispered in her mind, and she had to fight the hopeless cry that wanted to leave her throat.

_No! There's no way in hell I'm letting him go!_

Hailey rose, fisted her hands at the stabbing burns in her body, and stepped forward.

James twisted and kicked one of the men running towards him hard enough in his chest to hear a snapping sound, while using his Tk to fend off two other attackers. He still didn't understand how Hailey could have been cut off from him the way she had been without her conscious attempt, but abrupt as her departure on the Net had been, as surprising was her return.

After finding the blood underneath Shane's carport, he'd tried tracking down the vehicle Shane had described. The main problem had been that the Arrows' recourses were spent on assisting the EmNet call. Because Shane didn't know the plate code of the van, James had used Shane's organizer and hacked into the traffic control cameras, but going through the material took a lot of time and focus.

Simultaneously, James tried tracking Hailey through the PsyNet, yet every effort had been absolutely useless. It was as if she'd simply vanished into thin air.

After ten minutes of frustration and anger, he'd _finally_ felt her reach out through their bond in the Net, channeling her location. He saw the yellow lights of the street, the asphalt underneath her and the people standing over her.

Fragments of those pictures were his visions come to life. Then he'd noticed a sign Hailey had seen the muted light. _GTS workshops._

Without hesitating, James had teleported to the place Hailey had showed him. And when he'd seen her, for a fraction of a second, his heart had stopped working.

Cuts on the delicate skin of her throat, deeper lacerations slashed across the right side of her face, bruises on her left cheekbone and temple. That had been enough to ignite the raging darkness within, but his training had kept him in check, making sure to register every injury in order to take care of her. Jagged slithers of scarlet ran down her jaw and neck, staining the top half of her dress, the deep green fabric black from blood. The skirt was torn to ribbons, Hailey's legs shredded–as were her arms. She even had marks on her bare shoulder. By then, he was certain the amount of blood gushing down her legs and arms weren't only a result of superficial injuries, but indicated muscle damage as well.

How she'd managed to stay upright spoke of her incredible amount of willpower, the bright light in her refusing to dim, refusing to give up, even with all those wounds marring her. The sight of her had made him want to kill every single one of the people around her, his Tk almost bursting out of his body.

But he wouldn't chance hurting Hailey and going after her assailants before she was safe would mean she was at risk. When she retorted against teleporting to a safe place, he'd almost done it anyway. _Nothing_ was more important than her safety. Then he'd remembered the mistake he'd made before.

"_You took her choice away."_

And even though she was battered and bloody, James couldn't disagree with her logic. The terrorists _would _get away if they left. So he'd forced his mind into gear, had chosen the safest place where she could hide quickly while he took down the attackers.

Only he'd forgotten to calculate one thing while outlining his plan; the multiple teleports _and _assisting during the Em-Net call had taken away a considerable amount of his power. In fact, he was closer to flaming out than he wanted to admit.

A tremor ran through his body.

_A precognition._

James pushed it away, not wanting to focus on what he'd seen. He _had _to keep fighting. He had to keep going in order to protect Hailey, regardless of what his foresight had showed him.

Mentally counting until backup would arrive–one hundred and eighteen seconds left–an invisible blow slammed against his face. Shaking his head and straightening his stance, James figured one of the attackers must have minor Tk in their skillset. He could feel where the inside of his cheek had smashed against his teeth and spat on the ground, his saliva filled with blood.

Then he realized he couldn't fight what he'd seen. Hailey's vision–where blood had dripped from his lips–combined with the precognition that had hit him seconds ago made it all too clear. He was drained and outnumbered.

He wasn't going to survive this.

Shaking off the inevitable, he vowed he'd keep going for her, until his last breath. He blocked a series of blows, slammed out with his Tk but the hit was muted, his telekinesis fading.

_Tu seras toujours ma moitié, Siren,_ he said to the woman who held his heart and who'd showed him more of life in a couple of months than he'd experienced in the rest of his thirty-two years on this earth. At least he'd had that, at least he'd held her and had _lived_, even if he wished it could have been longer. The Squad would take care of Hailey, as would her friends. Contrary to him, she was strong enough to make it.

James saw an opening as one of the men charged him, knew that he'd be struck with an incapacitating mental blow after he'd knocked this assailant out, but that awareness wasn't enough. There was nothing he could do about it while three others circled him; not without his Tk.

Then he felt determination pulse through his bond with Hailey.

"Fuck you and your stupid plan!" Her shout loudly pierced the air.

Everyone's head snapped up to the top of the warehouse where she stood on the edge, the fabric of her torn dress ghostly shapes in the muted light from the street.

_No!_

James' breath caught at the sight of her, his heart frozen. Face bloody and her long hair wildly whipping in the wind, Hailey looked like a warrior princess ready to go into battle.

But she wasn't.

She was weakened, vulnerable, not in control of her power _and _a civilian. She was supposed to hide until backup arrived.

_Why the fuck hadn't she listen to him?!_

He followed his first instinct to mentally command her to hide and focused to attempt a teleport to her location against all the odds.

_No!_ she interrupted. _Do it now! Take them down!_

"You want your fucking hunt, pathetic lowlifes?" she screamed as her eyes started to glow in the darkness, "come on then, HUNT!"

James saw the tall, dark skinned woman had closed the distance to the warehouse and finally understood what Hailey was trying to do.

_She's acting as a decoy._

He wanted to teleport to her, wanted to take her someplace safe, but knew he was physically unable to do so. He _hated_ her recklessness, hated the fact that she was in the crossfire of these terrorists.

In the confusion Hailey had caused, James found a little room to breathe and knocked down one of the attackers with a well-aimed punch to the temple. Mentally blocking a telepathic blow he'd anticipated with his foresight, James physically took down another attacker–who'd gotten up again–by wrenching his arm behind his back and snapping the joint in his shoulder.

James turned around to kick Matt to the ground while making sure to avoid his eyes and felt a sharp stab in his mind. Just when he would have lunged at one of the men, he experienced a familiar pulling sensation, felt Hailey mentally reaching out to him through their unique connection. On the psychic plane, he grabbed hold of the hand she extended.

A pulse of foreign power jolted through his mind and he sensed Hailey was running on fumes. Her body was on the verge of breaking down in shock, her psychic presence faltering under the sheer power that swung between them like a pendulum.

James' mind expanded, telepathically encasing all the attackers in front of him while blocking their thoughts. He saw the eyes of one of his attackers widen when the man realized he suddenly wasn't able to use his mental combat skills anymore.

The avalanche of power almost took James down, but before his mind could give in, he clenched his fists and slammed out a telepathic burst.

The attackers simultaneously froze in place. Every single one of them screamed and clenched their head between their hands. After a heartbeat, they swayed and dropped to the ground with slithers of blood coming from their noses and ears. Enough to incapacitate them. Not enough to kill them.

Silence fell in a hush over the dark street.

Hailey's presence flickered on the psychic plane, her star fading. James snapped up his head to the top of the roof as the pull inside him eased and the telepathy lessened. He couldn't see Hailey standing on the edge anymore.

The air shimmered around him as several Arrows teleported in.

James didn't wait to give them a report but ran towards the warehouse, his heart a stone weight inside his chest. Hailey was still alive, her presence on the psychic plane turning bright red.

_She's flaming out._

James barely noticed the cardinal telepath lying in the dirt in front of the warehouse. Hailey must have used part of the telepathy to give the cardinal a taste of her own medicine. Running towards the ladder mounted on the side of the structure, he hauled himself up and used the final amount of his Tk to speed up his movements as he climbed. When he reached the top, he saw Hailey lying on the plas surface near the edge.

Running towards her, his feet pounding on the see-through roof, he could only think of one thing.

_She has to make it. She has to. She can't leave me. _

He fell to his knees beside her and carefully lifted her battered body into his arms. When he placed his fingers on her neck to check her pulse, her eyelids fluttered open. A smothered sound escaped his throat as her irises glowed blue-ringed jade before turning solid brown.

"You came for me," her husky voice a whisper.

An unknown sensation stung in his chest at the sound of her voice. He tried to respond but was unable to do so immediately, as if he was punched in the chest so hard, all the air had left his lungs.

Breathing in sharply, he cleared his throat from the odd sensation and spoke aloud. "I'll always come for you." His voice sounded foreign to his ears, raspy and soft.

Hailey smiled a little and reached up to stroke her fingers past his jaw. "You were late." She closed her eyes and exhaled. "You better make sure you're on time when we get married."

He wasn't able to smile at her jest, relief overtaking all other emotions. Hailey would be all right. The woman he adored would live. And he'd live together with her.

_Yes, my Siren. I promise. _

Her hand dropped next to her body. "I'm tired," she muttered.

James lifted her from the plas roof, carefully cradling her to his chest. "Rest. I'll keep you safe." He always would.

He telepathically requested one of his Squad members for a lift to the infirmary at the valley.

_I know you will. _Her telepathic voice a faint echo._ Forever._


	41. Chapter 39

39

"Has she been awake yet?" the sound of a deep, dark voice filled the room.

Hailey frowned. _Wait. What? Déjà vu?_

"No. She's slept for…" A pause. "Ten hours straight."

Hailey mentally sighed.

_Good. Hours, not days. _

Hailey tried to remember what happened after James found her on the roof of the building. Obviously, she was currently at a hospital… once again. She could tell by the distinctive smell and she even recognized the voice of the medic. It was the same woman who had nursed her to health after Edyson had attacked her.

_Does being with James equal regular trips to the infirmary? _

"Have you been able to assess if there's any permanent damage?" James' voice sounded different from what she ever heard.

_He sounds worried._

Hailey squinted her eyes before opening one fully.

James' tall form towered over her while he was questioning the medic. He looked all handsome and gorgeous while she was probably still a mess.

"All of her external injuries have been healed. Though the scans show no signs of internal injuries, I'm unsure how a flame out affects her physiology."

Hailey opened her other eye and stared at him. She mentally sighed again. She could watch him all day.

_Perhaps he can take off his shirt for you._

She frowned. James wasn't wearing his suit anymore but a t-shirt and cargo pants instead, which meant he'd taken a shower. Hailey pursed her lips. She wanted to freshen up as well.

_Maybe you can persuade him to shower together._

Right then James turned to face her, and she saw surprise spark in his eyes. "You're awake."

_And you're always so sharp and pretty._

Hailey smirked when he narrowed his eyes at her. Then she frowned and gently traced the side of her face with her fingertips. She hadn't felt anything when she'd used her facial muscles.

"Where are the cuts?" She pressed the tips of her fingers a little harder on her cheekbone. "And the bruises?"

James sat down on the side of the bed and brushed his knuckles over her jaw. "The M-Psy healed them. Your muscle tissue will take more time to regenerate, but the surface wounds are mended."

Hailey's fingers slid to her throat, where the knife had dug into her skin. She looked at the tips of her fingers to validate there wasn't any blood on them. "So I'm ready to go?"

James shot her a look. _Not until you're fully rested._

Hailey thought about that. She pushed herself up into a seated position. No headache. No psychic strain. No pain.

The M-Psy intervened then, running her through a battery of tests for what felt like hours, James' watchful and intent gaze lingering on her all that time.

"You're dismissed, but no physical or psychic exertion for the next four days," the M-Psy said sternly, and Hailey nodded in acquiescence.

When the medic left the room, James sat down on the side of her bed.

"I'm mostly healed," she said. James scowled at her, so she batted her eyelashes at him. "I feel great." A slow smile spread across her face. "And you look great as well." She reached out and brushed his hair off his forehead. "How are you?"

_Better, now I know you'll be able to handle my anger_. He thrust a hand through his hair and looked away for a moment. "What were you thinking, Hailey?" Azure blue eyes slammed into hers, anger written all over his face.

Hailey inched closer but stopped before she could touch him further. "Medically speaking, I'm fine, right?"

James gave her a curt nod.

"Okay, then I want to discuss this somewhere private." She glimpsed up at his narrowed eyes.

_Hmm. _

He really was angry with her. All the more reason to leave this room and speak with him alone somewhere.

James stood up from his seated position and watched her intently. The air around them shimmered and the next instant, Hailey felt grass tickle under her thighs. She rose to see James had teleported them to the small stream where she liked to swim. Her muscles felt a little sore and tender when she moved, but otherwise she felt no discomfort.

She walked a few steps towards the water and inhaled the scent of grass. Then she looked down and spread her arms. "I'm wearing a hospital gown." She swiveled around to face James. "You didn't mention that on purpose!"

James shrugged, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his expression stone cold. Hailey bit her lip and walked over to him. She pulled away his arms, wrapped her own around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"You were reckless," his deep voice a rumble.

"I know." She tightened her hold on him while his arms were still braced stiffly at his side.

"I told you to hide."

"I know." Hailey stroked her hands over his back, his muscles taut underneath the soft cotton of his black T-shirt.

"I trusted you to listen to me."

Hailey pressed a kiss on his chest and moved her hands to his shoulders. She tipped up her head and met his gaze. "I _know._"

She stepped back and sighed, thrusting a hand through her hair that was still tangled and probably looked like a bird's nest. She didn't care. "I couldn't do it," she said. "I couldn't let them hurt you. The backup wasn't going to make it in time."

"You didn't know that." Cool arrogance in his voice.

Hailey shot James a look that would've set him on fire if she'd possessed the ability. "But you did! You _knew_ and you sent me away to hide anyway. I understood what you did the moment I stood on the rooftop." Searing, agonizing pain uncurled in her chest while tears burned in her eyes. "You knew you were going to die and still you chose protect me!" And how bleak a place the world would be without her presumptuous, intelligent, beautiful Arrow there to hold her hand. The memory of her understanding still made her lungs ache for air, her heart shriveling inside her chest.

James stepped forward and gripped her chin, his voice sharp. "Yes. If I have to choose between me and you, I'll always choose to save you."

Hailey pushed away his hand. "I don't want to be here if you're not with me! You know that and still you decided for me!"

She'd heard stories of the mating bond, when one half of the whole passed. The other half rarely survived. Even though she'd seen it when her mother had passed, she'd never been able to fathom the extreme low her father had experienced, was still experiencing.

She did now.

"I didn't know until the moment they closed in on me." James' fists were white bracketed beside his body as he raised his voice a little. "It struck me when you were out of sight. And even if I _had_ known before that, I wouldn't have changed anything."

The only reason why James' foresight hadn't been accurate was because of her impulsive attempt to save him–she was certain of it.

Hailey threw her hands into the air. "Why?" she nearly shouted. "Why did you make the decision without me?" Tears flowed over her cheeks. "You're so fucking stubborn! Why are you _always_ set on having your way?"

"Because I love you!"

James' angry growl echoed in the air between them, and Hailey sucked in a sharp breath. She stared at his grim face with big eyes and slapped her hand over her mouth. A laugh bubbled out of her when James' features softened. He covered the distance between them and lifted her with ease.

"You're an exasperating woman." He kissed her. "You'll be the death of me."

Hailey smiled against his lips and ran her fingers through his hair, deepening the kiss, playing her tongue against his. She shuddered at the feeling of his warmth, his flavor, his scent.

_Home._

"Next time when you say it, don't sound so angry," she murmured against his cheek, dazed by the power of his declaration, the intensity shuddering through their connection.

James bit her jaw. "Keep it up and there won't be a next time."

That got him a full out laugh as Hailey held him, her strong, wonderful, protective mate.

"Marry me, James," she whispered softly in his ear. "Make my life miserable and beautiful. Drive me insane and make me fall for you over and over." She placed soft kisses on the line of his jaw. "It will be flawed and there will be days where we'll fight with each other with a vengeance." She gave him a wide smile. "But it'll be worth every single fight if I get to spend the rest of my life with you."

James' eyes smoldered with warmth. "Yes, Hailey." He kissed the corner of her mouth. _Illuminate my soul with your light every day. _

Hailey kissed him, held him, _loved_ him on the riverbank where she'd first known she had fallen in love with her Arrow.

An hour after Hailey's proposal, James and Hailey sat in a large office at a table with Vasic, Zaira and Aden for a briefing. Hailey had been able to shower and change in the meantime and had only rolled her eyes at James twice when he'd held off on her attempts to seduce him. He was convinced she wasn't recovered enough. Although she felt a little tired, Hailey was sure that tangling with her Arrow would make her feel _a lot _better.

Too bad he didn't buy it.

Hailey focused her attention to Aden as she ate a strawberry flavored nutrition bar James had conjured up somewhere. Aden had informed them the group of attackers had all been incarcerated, but none of them had talked yet. Two were in a coma due to James' telepathic blast. The others were kept on a tight psychic leash, their access to the PsyNet cut off and their abilities crippled.

A large number of Arrows remained in New York to help at the sites of the explosions. A mosque, a school building and a known base of the Human Alliance had been targeted. Because it had been nighttime, the school had been empty and there had only been four guards at the Human Alliance base. Most of the victims had fallen at the mosque, where people had been leaving after evening prayers.

Hailey's heart clenched with guilt. "They did all this just so they could get their hands on me and one of you."

Zaira shook her head. "We don't know yet. We can't break through their shields without damaging them, and even if the explosions proved to be a decoy to take Hailey and trap you," she glanced at James before returning her attention to Hailey, "this still isn't your fault."

Hailey wondered how Zaira was able to sense her feelings this accurately.

_Perhaps she's getting better in distinguishing emotions now that she experiences them more vividly. _She shoved that thought away and listened to the others speak while she took another bite from the nutrition bar.

"Zaira's unit managed to take down two perpetrators who'd been seen placing the explosives at the mosque. Together with the group we captured at the docks, there's a total of fifteen people who seem to be responsible," Vasic said.

"There were ten attackers at the industrial site. Where are the other three?" James asked.

Vasic' pointed at the comm screen mounted on the wall. "We believe they are hiding at one of these five places in the city." Five yellow dots appeared in the Lower East Side on the map of Manhattan. "The Arrows on site are setting a perimeter and will hunt down every last one of them." Vasic' cool grey eyes were filled with determination. "Abbot has recovered enough for him and Sione to lead the units," he said, naming the best trackers in the Squad. "They'll mobilize after this meeting."

Aden turned to James. "I don't want to ask this after everything you've already done, but I've just heard back from the interrogation team." His eyes locked with Zaira for a brief moment before he looked at James again. "The Forgotten male says he wants to talk."

Nausea churned in Hailey's stomach. She didn't need foresight to understand where this was going. "He wants to talk to James," her voice sounded strained.

Aden inclined his head. "He'll _only_ speak with James."

"It's the only way to get answers, to know for certain if the threat is averted," James said. "There aren't any more signs so far of other cities being targeted?"

"No," Aden said. "The Human Alliance and Krychek's personal team haven't found any signs that indicate more terrorist attacks, but we can't be certain. Also, this attack can be a catalyst for other parties to act while there is disorder and our resources are split. We must keep this incident contained; the balance of peace is frail and won't hold if this doesn't prove to be an isolated attack."

Hailey felt every cell in her body reject the idea of exposing James like that, but everyone at the table agreed they didn't have another choice. Besides questioning Matt, the Arrow's interrogation team could attempt to tear the attackers' shields apart, but there was no guarantee the attackers would survive the force of telepathy if they'd resist the telepathic scan. Aside from that, the individuals were likely to have traps in their inner shields, which would make data retrieval next to impossible.

The only other option was the use of a J-Psy, yet surprisingly, James argued against it. "If it's not necessary, I don't want to burden them with digging through a psychopaths mind. Chances are that a J won't be able to find useful intel either. Psychopathic minds work differently from normal minds."

Which left them with one solid strategy for now. James agreed to interrogate Matt with Zaira as back up, while Vasic and Aden returned to New York to hunt down the last of the attackers together with Abbot and Sione, and aid the victims. Ten minutes later Zaira, James and Hailey stood outside of Aden's office.

"He's held in an interrogation room at Central Command." Zaira informed James. "Room 14B."

James inclined his head and looked at Hailey. "You want to come." It wasn't a question.

Hailey nodded, even though her stomach was tightening with the idea of coming within a short distance of Matt again. "Yes. I might be able to help since I've known him for a couple of years."

"It might prove useful," Zaira said as she zipped up her leather-synth jacket. "She can stay with me."

James inclined his head and teleported them to the hallway outside of the interrogation room. Zaira motioned Hailey to come along to the back room, where they would be able to see James and Matt.

Hailey shot James a worried look before she entered. _Be careful. Don't let him hurt you. _

James' eyes frosted over. _I'm not the one in danger of getting hurt. _

Shaking her head at his stubborn response, Hailey closed the door to the backroom. Zaira already stood in front of the large rectangular window. Being a powerful telepath meant she was able to shield Matt whenever he'd try to use his ability to hypnotize someone. Even though Aden told her that specialized Arrows were keeping the assailants in check, Matt wasn't Psy. There was a probability he was able to use that to his advantage. Hailey wasn't sure if he wouldn't try to hypnotize James into killing him; it would be a convenient and easy out.

Hailey didn't want James to interrogate Matt but knew he felt like he had to, his loyalty towards the Squad and the innocent people who'd gotten injured more important than his personal reservations. As for herself, she didn't want to see Matt ever again, but she wouldn't leave James alone to deal with this. At least having Zaira next to her made her feel a little better.

Matt sat quietly in the sober grey room, staring at his fingernails like he didn't have a care in the world. In front of him stood a steel table and another chair. The rest of the room was empty, except for the window Hailey and Zaira were facing.

"He can't see us, right?" Hailey glanced at Zaira.

Zaira shook her head. "No. It's a mirrored display, though he probably knows someone's watching." Zaira looked at Hailey, her dark eyebrows knitted together in a frown. "He expects you to be here; that's why he asked for James."

Hailey swallowed and nodded. She already considered that to be the reason why Matt had made the specific request. Her body tensed when the door to the interrogation room swung open.

Matt's eyes lit up when he saw James walk into the space. "Well, look who we have here," he drawled. "If it isn't the asshole that broke my arm."

James ignored Matt and sat down across from him, his back towards the mirrored display. He placed a datapad on the table and tapped on it. A hologram of images appeared. Hailey recognized the faces of the individuals that had attacked her and James, and saw a few others she didn't know. She let out a deep breath when James started talking.

"You wanted to speak with me. I'm here. Talk." James' tone was arctic.

Hailey bit her lip when Matt leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head.

"Who are these people?"

Matt smiled at James' question. "I'd like to speak about one person in particular."

James kept quiet. Moments passed and Hailey saw Matt's pale eyes harden when James didn't bite.

"Tell me about you and Hailey. How were you able to seduce her?" Matt leaned forward, his elbows braced on the table. "I bet you gave her a nice, long fuck. That's what she likes, doesn't she?" He smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Hailey's stomach clenched. _Jesus._ Matt had seriously gone insane. How hadn't anyone noticed that?

James pushed back his chair, picked up the datapad and walked out of the room. Matt's smile disappeared and his head snapped up. "Hey!" he shouted and looked towards the display. "We had a deal!"

James walked into the backroom and shot Zaira a look. Hailey crossed her arms in front of her chest, aware that James was telepathing Zaira.

Zaira nodded. "Yes, he's trying to manipulate you into a reaction. Is it working?"

James gave her a cool glance, from which Hailey could distillate the answer to Zaira's question. The tendons in James' neck stood out stark, his jaw tight and his skin pulled taut over his cheekbones. He looked at Hailey. "You need to leave."

Hailey shook her head. "No. If you're here, I'm staying here as well."

James walked towards her and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. _You don't need more nightmares. I'll deal with him._

Hailey rose on tiptoe and cupped his face. "We finish this the same way we started; together." Because even though Matt was a sick, sadistic bastard, helping innocent people by figuring out if there would be any more attacks would provide Hailey with some sort of closure.

James looked at her for several moments before inclining his head. "Alright. But if he continues doing what he's tried so far, I'm ending the conversation and not coming back. I'm not sitting there while he tries to get under my skin by insulting you." He directed his words to Zaira. "We won't play along with his game. Either he talks, or I leave. You'll have more luck with the others."

Hailey dropped her hands to her side as she listened to James and Zaira discuss the interrogation tactic.

Zaira shrugged with one shoulder. "I can still try to enter his mind, although Aden won't approve. Minor physical injuries, however, are within the boundaries," she said, her dark eyes glinting.

"It won't be worth the time and effort if the kidnapping and attempted murder prove to be the main motives."

"See if you can make him talk," Zaira answered as she turned towards the display. "Otherwise we'll have no choice but to request a J to read him and the others."

James gave a curt nod and walked out of the backroom. Hailey's eyes went to Matt, who didn't look careless anymore. His face was an unattractive shade of red, his hands fisted on top of the table.

James opened the door to the interrogation room, placed the datapad on the table and tapped on the screen again, opening the hologram. He walked towards the wall next to the door and leaned against it. "Talk. Otherwise I'll leave and I won't return."

Matt clenched his jaw but took his loss as he sat up straight. "I've met these two," he pointed at the images of the tall man and cardinal woman, "three or four times before." His eyes darted from left to right, as if to find a way out of the room.

Hailey's lips curled in disgust. _Good. Feel uncomfortable. _She could barely contain herself from shouting at the mirrored display. That bastard had cut up her face and would have raped her if everything had gone according to his plan. Just the thought of being violated and degraded like that made her stomach roil, but she forced herself to focus on the conversation.

"For about two years I've been making a little extra money on the side." Matt shrugged. "Some of the ladies from the club like to entertain guests after hours, if you know what I mean. But they like it if I stay to watch out for them, so they give me a cut of their earnings. These two," he gestured at the images, "came in one night and sliced beautiful Brandi to shreds. They cut her open and when I found them, her brain was leaking out of her ears." He shrugged again. "So sad," his tone without sorrow, "she was just planning her twenty-fifth birthday party. I even got an invitation." A distant look in his eyes, as if he hadn't just admitted witnessing the brutal murder of a young woman.

"When it became clear Shea, the cardinal, couldn't tear through my shields, I helped them get rid of the problem." Matt grinned with pride.

Hailey felt sickened by him. The piece of vermin had apparently disposed the body of one of the girls who'd _trusted_ him to keep her safe. He was as much of a psychopath as the Psy that had attempted to take down James.

"They were in my debt from then on out. And they were _very_ interested when I told them about a Psy soldier I knew. They paid nicely for the intel." He tipped his head to the side. "Unfortunately that junkie I used to spy on you guys got caught, the imbecile."

Hailey's eyebrows rose. It was as if Matt was so delusional, he didn't realize he'd been caught as well. As if this really was just a game to him. She tapped her index finger on her arm when Matt focused his gaze on James.

"And since you already took what I wanted, I decided to show Hales what she was missing." A slow smile spread over Matt's face when he looked from James to the mirrored display, like he could see Hailey instead of his own reflection.

Hailey felt James' anger pulse through their connection.

_Breathe, love. _She sent him a telepathic kiss.

_He's talking about women as if they're objects he can own_, James' voice was a growl in her mind. _Like _you_ were an object he could have his way with._

_Which is why it's all the better that he's imprisoned. Maybe Brandi wasn't the only girl who fell victim to him and his 'friends'. You need to find out what he's got to say, if their operation ran on a wider scale than the attacks in New York. _

James' face was a blank mask, but for the anger Hailey saw sparking in his eyes. "What was the original plan?"

Matt kept his eyes trained on the mirror. "_If_ little Hales hadn't been such a bitch, she would have just come with me after I tried to kiss her at the hospital." He looked up at James, who was still leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest, seemingly relaxed… Seemingly being the operative word. "It must have been such a shock for her, to feel so aroused when I approached her." He grinned. "Especially since fucking you must resemble fucking a piece of ice."

Sucking in a breath, Hailey whispered to James. _Don't give him what he wants. He can't hurt me anymore._

Matt turned his head to assess James' reaction. His pale eyes darkened little when James kept perfectly silent. "Fine." Matt sounded like he was sulking, a spoiled boy in the body of an adult. "Hailey was supposed to behave and get into the van. After I knocked her out, I had to drive to one of the empty buildings near the dock." He slid his finger through the holographic image of the cardinal woman, as if he was stroking her.

Hailey shuddered.

"Shea ran the show. The other guy was like a marionette." Shane shook his head. "I've heard about Psy mind control, but my, my," he whistled through his teeth. "Hearing about it and seeing it firsthand are two different things entirely."

James kept staring at him as Matt returned to topic. "Anyway," he said chirpily, as if he was talking about the weather and not about fucking kidnapping her, "I was supposed to tie Hailey down and wait until you came." He wiped his fingertips over the table. "They," Matt indicated to a couple of holographic images, "wanted to ambush you and tie you down as well, then put a bracelet on you to stifle your abilities so Shea could kill you. Shea told me it would be the crown upon her work, to murder a shadow from the Net. She had grown bored with easy prey and she was looking for a challenge. The others were to watch and learn. Shea was grooming them for future operations." An apologetic grin. "But I don't give three shits about what they wanted. Once they got you–or another fucking Arrow for that matter–I was free to leave with Hales and show her a good time."

He slapped his palm flat on the table and smirked at James. "She's a bit of a wild one, did you know?"

James straightened his stance and walked towards the chair. Turning it around, he sat down, his arms braced on the back. "Why is that?"

Again, his posture seemed relaxed, unthreatening. Hailey had no idea how he was managing to look so uncaring on the outside, while she knew he was absolutely boiling on the inside. Hailey shot Zaira a look. "I don't think he'll be able to control himself." The icy calm she felt through their connection was a façade; a way to shied her from his emotions. Hailey hated James for shutting her out like that, trying to protect her still.

Zaira kept quiet and Hailey returned her attention on the conversation in front of her, her muscles taut.

"Didn't she tell you?" Matt leaned back and moved his hands in front of his chest. "She asked me to touch her, to show her what a real man feels like. Of course I was happy to oblige." He made a squeezing motion in front of his pectorals and grinned. "And I could tell she liked it."

James leaped over the table so fast, Hailey had barely seen him move. She gasped when he lifted Matt against the back wall with one hand around Matt's throat. Matt released a gurgling laugh. "Is anyone filming this? This is unnecessary police violence."

"I'm not in Enforcement."

Hailey jumped towards the door and opened it, while Zaira followed her. She turned left in the hallway and went to open the door to the interrogation room, but Zaira clasped her hand around Hailey's arm when she reached for the door handle.

"Are you sure?" Dark, dark eyes met hers. Hailey considered Zaria's question for several seconds and nodded. Zaira held her for another heartbeat before inclining her head and letting go.

When Hailey entered the room, Matt's eyes flashed towards her, his face turning a reddish purple in James' bruising hold. They made eye contact he smiled despite his trapped position.

Ignoring him, Hailey directed her words to her Arrow. _James_. Hailey wouldn't give Matt the opportunity to listen in on their conversation. _Come with me. He's going to spend the rest of his miserable life locked up, and you're going to spend the rest of your amazing life with me. Let's leave._

She moved closer and saw a muscle pulse in James' jaw. _ Is it true?_

The depth of rage in his telepathic voice made Hailey freeze, the dark anger in James taking over. She understood what James was asking, if Matt had tried to touch her in an intimate way again. If she said yes, Hailey was certain James would kill Matt for it. If she lied… he'd probably know she would be lying.

Again, this wasn't about Matt–it was about James. She didn't care if Matt got hurt. Hell, the bastard deserved being smacked around after what he did to her. Still, she couldn't let James hurt him.

Hailey's heart tore at the seams when the glacial wall around James' psychic presence dropped. The only thing that blazed through their bond was anger, guilt, hate. Of course, her protective Arrow blamed himself for not being able to stop it, but how could he have? He had been doing the right thing, helping the people who were in need.

Yet, he wouldn't see it that way. He would only believe he'd failed to keep her out of harm's way, and by killing Matt he'd get rid of the person who'd hurt her. But it would also mark him, would be one more scar on the battered soul of her Arrow. Hailey couldn't allow James to fight her battle, to put himself in the crossfire again. He'd done enough.

Zaira stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest, leaned against the mirrored wall, seemingly unaffected by James' aggressive outburst.

_Hailey, _James' voice was steel, demanding an answer.

The truth was Hailey actually had forgotten about the part where Matt had touched her. Besides the fact that it had been for a brief moment, the other events of that night had preoccupied her mind. Unfortunately for Matt, he hadn't left the impression he was so desperate for.

Hailey clenched her jaw and decided she wouldn't give Matt the satisfaction to think he'd won by getting under James' skin. She could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he was enjoying this, enjoying James' reaction. _Enjoying making others feel powerless._ She snapped her gaze to Matt and decided to do the one thing that would make him stop. His actions, his deviant behavior, it was about control.

_Then show__ him what it's like to be powerless._

Hailey channeled every ounce of her acting skills while facing Matt. "You did force yourself on me again, didn't you? You like taking things that aren't yours, like owning people. And you continued, even after I told you to stop." Hailey stepped closer, disregarding James' warning glance.

"The problem is that you're now at the mercy of the most dangerous people in the world." She made her voice uncaring, ignoring the rapid beat of her heart. "The Arrows don't care if your issues are rooted in your youth, where you never got acknowledged by your parents."

When a muscle in Matt's eye started twitching, Hailey decided to apply more pressure. "Yes, I know all about that. Shane has loose lips when he's had a few beers. I never got why he was friends with you in the first place." She shook her head. "But then I understood. He pitied you."

James lowered Matt to the ground when he started inhaling wheezing breaths but kept his hand locked tightly around Matt's throat. Hailey made sure to stay out of his reach without hiding behind James; she wouldn't use him as a shield.

"But the Arrows don't pity anyone. They don't care if the reason you're being accessory to kidnapping and murder is because your dad never gave you a compliment after you fucked up your career in sports." Hailey stuck out her chin. "They don't care that you're a pathetic moron who wants to be seen so badly, who has the childlike need for attention and approval, that he hurts innocent people."

When Matt growled as if to shout at her, James thumped him against the wall. Fury heating her blood, Hailey continued, coating her voice with ice. "They only care about the safety of the people you tried to harm–the safety your supposed friends endangered by placing explosives in the city."

Shimmers of uncertainty broke through Matt's anger, his cheekbones cutting through his skin and his eyes rapidly zigzagging left and right.

Hailey made sure her voice was pitched low and quiet for the next part. "They are the elite. Experts in physical and mental combat. They know a million and one ways to hurt you for what you've done. Nothing you could have _ever_ dreamed of comes close to what will happen to you." Hailey wasn't sure if that part was true. Even after everything Matt had done, Aden probably wouldn't condone extensive torture. But Matt didn't know that.

She smiled falsely when she saw sweat break out on his forehead. "And you've been a special kind of stupid. You tried to come after one of their own."

"They can't touch me," Matt's voice raised an octave. "I… I have rights," he stammered.

"Not anymore." Zaira's voice was so cold, Matt's face turned pale.

"So we're going to ask you one last time if you've got anything useful to say. Maybe you should consider it for a moment, consider if you ever want to see something other than the four walls of a cell." Hailey glanced over her shoulder at Zaira. "Complete solitary confinement for several weeks messes with their minds, doesn't it?"

Zaira shrugged. "We have rooms without windows or doors we can teleport him to. If weeks aren't enough to break him, months will do the trick." She focused her eyes on Matt. "Maybe we should consider isolating him one week for every victim of the explosions." Zaira looked at James, who was still holding Matt in an iron-tight grip. "What's the count so far?"

"Thirty-two," James answered while pinning Matt down with his gaze.

Hailey nodded and kept her tone steady as she crossed her arms. "That seems fair. After all, some of the victims will need more than eight months to recover from their injuries."

Matt's skin turned an odd hue of green when realization kicked in that he would be trapped in a similar room like this for that extent of time. "N- no. No, you can't do that!"

"We can and we will." James' voice was sharp enough to cut through Matt's skin.

"Well, why don't you think about whether you'd ever like to see the light of day again and we'll go and eat some breakfast. I'm kind of hungry." Hailey turned her back to Matt and walked out of the room. When she reached the corridor, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling in a jagged rhythm.

Seconds later, James' hand cupped her chin and he tipped up her head. "Are you alright?"

Hailey wrapped her arms around his big body and buried her face in his chest. She inhaled the scent of oak moss and sandalwood, the scent of home. "I will be." She tightened her hold on him, borrowed his strength. "I deserve an award for that performance."

"Yes," Zaira's cool voice sounded. "That was very entertaining. I think I might attend one of your classes."

Hailey snorted a little, pulled back from James' embrace and faced Zaira. "Do you think it will work?"

The corners of Zaira's mouth twitched, fire in her dark eyes. "He was already on the verge of crying when you walked out of the room."

Hailey took a deep breath and released it slowly. "It's actually really sad, that someone becomes messed up like that. Go figure. Strange how lack of love and attention in your childhood combined with genetic predisposition can cause people to become like this."

James frowned. "Don't tell me you feel sorry for him."

Hailey shook her head. "No." Hailey felt repulsed by Matt's actions. "Not for him. But that doesn't mean you can abandon people like him to their fate." She looked from James to Zaira. "There has to be a system for people like Shea, like the others. Locking them up or letting them free shouldn't be the only two options." Her brow furrowed. "Especially not for the ones who are intelligent enough to fake their way through society."

James narrowed his eyes. "What do you suggest?"

Hailey shook her head. "I don't know yet." She rolled her shoulders. "Let's worry about that later. For now, let's eat."


	42. Chapter 40

40

They left another Arrow to stand guard to make sure Matt didn't do anything stupid while contemplating his choices. After breakfast, Matt was so riled up he told Zaira and James everything. Names, places, dates, anything he could remember. His information combined with the use of a J-Psy for the other terrorists gave them the full scale of the operation.

It turned out the cardinal telepath, Shea, had only been able to use mind control on the tall male. The bald man, his younger companion and the red-haired woman seemed to have the same psychopathic impulses Shea had, while the others were hired muscle, hit men. Apparently, working in communications as a cardinal telepath paid well.

Somehow the group managed to meet up in the PsyNet and plan the entire event inside a highly secure mental vault, courtesy of Shea's shielding abilities. Their goal had been to create the ultimate hunt: to chase down and kill an Arrow, and to get away with it in the fray the explosions had caused.

Though, the thing Matt didn't know was that some of the hit men had received anonymous requests to obtain as much information about the Squad as possible for a substantial amount of money. It made Aden believe there was a link between the events that had passed and the Consortium, especially since the hit men were the ones who'd provided Matt with the bracelet to shut down Hailey's abilities. The Arrows were currently still investigating the technology with a consultant from the Human Alliance and had so far concluded the technology was akin to a chip the Human Alliance had developed.

Matt had even discovered how the group had known James was an Arrow; James had been spotted at several incidents when responding to EmNet calls and he'd been filmed a couple of times by news crew and bystanders. Since Arrows like Vasic and Aden were too high profile, the group had decided to select one of the Arrows that would be more 'easily' at their disposal. They had made a selection of fifteen known Arrows. Because James had been spotted in New York together with Hailey, their choice had fallen on him.

The fact that Matt was an acquaintance of Hailey had been a fluke. It also explained the timing of James' vision; after the incident at the hospital, Matt had contacted Shea. She'd set out her hit men to spy, who'd spotted James and Hailey on their date while they were walking tot the Italian restaurant. The vision had come the exact moment when the decision had been made to target James.

The precognition that had hit James a day later also made sense now, since the group hadn't seen James in New York while Hailey was still there. Initially, they had decided to wait, but James' departure hadn't changed Matt's intentions of kidnapping Hailey. As soon as Matt knew she'd been left alone, his desire had only been amplified.

The remaining three terrorists had been tracked down within two hours after the meeting with Aden and Vasic. They'd packed a residence in one of the highly Psy populated neighborhoods with enough explosives to kill thousands. That final explosion had been their ticket out. Luckily, the detonator had malfunctioned while the Arrows had been on their tail. They'd been stuck in a coffin of their own making, not able to leave because their faces were plastered all over the news and not able to ignite the explosives manually without dying for a cause that wasn't worth dying for. The question remained if a life in prison would prove better for them.

In hindsight, James first vision had been the most accurate after all. The group had intended to hold Hailey hostage in one of the buildings near the dock and torture her in order to lure James. The explosions were used as a decoy to distract the Arrows and take James down right under the Squad's nose. The only thing James hadn't managed to foresee was that the group didn't care about Hailey. They only wanted James for their sick pleasures and would have killed her and Matt after Matt had served his purpose. Needless to say, Matt hadn't known that bit.

The group had even tried doing as much of a background check as was possible for a man who was a shadow. Shea had used the psychometric abilities of the tall male, Jonas, through her mind control–which clarified his odd behavior. Jonas had gone through the apartment's general thrash recycler after James and she had left for the restaurant and used his abilities over and over, until he finally had some information on James.

According to the J-Psy, it hadn't been a lot of knowledge, but enough to know James was extremely protective of Hailey, verifying Matt's observations. In the end it had caused Jonas to become a broken shell, half insane by all the information he'd absorbed in such a short amount of time. Another innocent casualty.

The only mistake they had made, was that they hadn't considered James' ability to teleport. Since that part of his skillset came into play after James had issued the security team for Hailey, they hadn't been able to let Jonas use his abilities again. If they had known, James probably wouldn't have been selected as their target, since he'd be too difficult to capture.

After the interrogation regarding the explosives in the city, the Arrows had forced Matt to reveal the location of Brandi's body in order to give her family closure. They had passed down the information to Enforcement, which had given Brandi's parents the opportunity to bury their daughter. Brandi's murder had been the only one where Matt had been involved, but the J-Psy who'd read the rest of the terrorists discovered over forty other men and women had been murdered by Shea, most dating from the time before Silence had been broken.

In the end it appeared no Arrow had spilled the secret–which wasn't actually a secret but probably should be–of Hailey's abilities. In the PsyNet, James had strengthened his shields around Hailey shortly after the attack. Together with Aden and the other senior Arrows it was decided to keep the information about Hailey's abilities on a need-to-know basis, the senior staff the only ones with clearance. With the current threat of the Consortium, Hailey was aware it would be most unwise to reveal her true power; if the wrong people would find out about it, she'd be hunted for the rest of her life.

Luckily, Hailey had a very protective Arrow to keep her out of harm's way. The bad news was that Hailey wouldn't be able to use her abilities to help other Forgotten members for the time being. She first needed to gain more control over both her Tk and her draining abilities–as well as her shielding–in order to protect herself. Therefore, entering the ShadowNet was also out of the question. Being shielded on the PsyNet wouldn't help her if she wasn't able to protect herself from prying eyes on the ShadowNet.

Looking back, Hailey was disappointed about the way she'd handled Matt's attack. After training for months, she still hadn't been able to defend herself against an asshole with a knife. It stung a little that all her hard work seemed to be for naught, but she reminded herself she wouldn't have been able to save James without her training.

A day after the final assailants had been taken into Arrow custody, Hailey went home with a little relief in her heart. Construction workers had started to repair the broken buildings in Manhattan and most of the people with minor to moderate injuries had been nursed back to health. Matt, Shea and the others wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore, and for now, there were no more threats to New York or other cities.

She took a quick shower and decided to take a nap while James was still at Central Command, assessing the information together with another group of Arrows.

A smile covered her lips when she thought of her handsome Arrow while she sent him a telepathic kiss. Warmth pulsed through their bond as Hailey relaxed and dreamed of her mate.


	43. Chapter 41

41

Five weeks had passed since the night where Hailey almost lost James. Or was it the night where he'd almost lost her? Hailey shrugged at that thought. It didn't matter. They never lost each other and had grown stronger since the ordeal.

Matt was still in solitary confinement, and Aden had decided he and the other attackers would be given a trial. There wasn't any chance in hell any of them would walk, but since there currently wasn't a solid protocol in place for a trial of this proportion, it meant they'd be locked away for now. Hailey was absolutely fine with that.

She'd discussed a solution with the leaders of the Empathic Collective regarding the psychopathic Psy in the Net. She'd suggested some sort of closed facility, akin to the human equivalent of a psychiatric hospital where they could be treated. Hailey had volunteered to design a concept for the Collective to assess. The Collective had agreed with her that it was imperative these Psy needed psychiatric and empathic attendance–preferably before they were able to act on their deviant urges–and had discussed the general idea with the Ruling Coalition.

Krychek seemed to believe it was a better idea to eliminate every Psy with extreme deviant tendencies, whereas Nikita Duncan had been rather indifferent to the fate of her fellow Psy. But since the Empaths, Anthony Kyriakus and the Arrows were also represented in the Coalition, the decision was made to continue working out the concept and find a suitable location to establish the idea.

Besides her work for the Empathic Collective, Hailey had made a request to Aden to continue her classes at the valley. Before the situation with Morgan and the threat to her life, she'd only been able to keep half of her end of the bargain since she hadn't been able to start her music course yet. Aden told her she was always welcome to teach and that he was looking forward to her classes.

Apparently, the teenagers had been eager for her to continue as well. The first day Hailey had returned to the valley, her classroom was packed with children. Overwhelmed by their support, Hailey had decided to do an exercise outside on the outdoor training field, and the end of the class the children had persuaded her to play some music for them.

Hailey sighed at the memory of James' beautiful half smile when he'd joined the group after his duties.

Although she despised James going full bodyguard on her, she missed having her Arrow around. They hadn't been able to spend as much time together as before the visions. For living arrangements, James and she had decided to alternate between living at the valley cabin and staying over at her apartment in order to be together as much as possible. Though, she couldn't really complain; a week after the day they'd questioned Matt, James had filed the report about everything that had passed, and him and Hailey been able to have a mini holiday.

James had teleported them to beautiful locations around the world they had both chosen with use of Hailey's travel list.

Hailey had designed an alternative to a flight plan–which she'd called the 'port plan– since she didn't want James to waste energy on traveling back and forth. The long-distance teleports still required a significant amount of energy from him, especially with her as charge, but he'd assured her it would be fine since they didn't have any obligations aside from discovering the wonders of the world and enjoying the scenery. They had decided to take only a backpack each with essentials and some food, packing light to travel easily.

The first location on their 'port plan had been an atoll in the Maldives, where they'd swum in the sparkling water of the Arabian Sea. The water had been the same color as James' eyes, the scenery even more beautiful than Hailey had seen in pictures; fine white sand on the shores, palm trees and azure blue water stretched as far as the eye could see.

Hailey had shown James how to create an air pocket with use of his Tk and together they'd dived to coral reefs where multi-colored fish swam around them. It had been magical. They'd made love underneath the star-studded sky on that tropical beach and had slept encased in James' Tk shield. Hailey had never felt as free as she did when swimming in the vast ocean, racing against passing dolphins and manta rays, some of who had been BlackSea Changelings. Hailey had pouted at James when it was time to travel, but he had reassured her they'd return to their private beach soon.

The next location had been one of his choosing. This time they'd acted like proper tourists, visiting the pyramids and the sphinx in Egypt. There was beauty in the stretched-out deserts as well, the ever-changing scenery of the sand dunes, rich hues of brown in the hot sun.

James had told her it was one of his childhood fantasies to teleport to the top of a pyramid and see the world from that altitude. When he'd travelled to the top, Hailey had taken a picture of him standing on the point of the ancient construction. James had sent the image to his fellow Arrow Tks with the challenge to one-up him. It had caught on, and half a day later there'd been a large bulletin board placed in the common area–currently holding twelve pictures of Arrows teleporting themselves to ridiculous places. Hailey had laughed when she'd seen it, loving the fact that the Arrows were learning how to use their abilities for play.

Cairo was a beautiful, buzzing city filled with souks and bazaars, which–of course–Hailey was eager to visit. The enormous number of handmade objects in myriads of colors had astonished her. Tapestries, traditional clothing, purses, spices, jewelry… It was a mesmerizing overload to her senses.

Hailey had bought a traditional bronze colored hanging lamp, where little holes were punctured into the metal sphere in intricate designs. She'd packed it in a bag and tied it onto her backpack as they went to drink some of the local tea. The tea had made James grimace after tasting it, to Hailey's laughter; it was far too sweet and spiced for his taste buds and he'd decided to stick to fortified water.

They'd eaten on the balcony of their hotel room and watched Cairo by nightfall. The quiet night had been intentional planning on Hailey's end, not wanting to wear down her stubborn Arrow. James had kissed her after dinner, his hands covering hers for an instant before a beautiful scarab necklace appeared inside her palm. The bronze pendant was inlaid with gemstones in dark colors.

"_The seller explained to me scarabs are sacred animals in Egyptian mythology. They are associated with transformation,"_ James had told her. She'd loved him even more for specifically selecting the necklace for its meaning and not just for its beauty–James would never see her as a pretty ornament, but as a fighter.

They'd watched the lights of the city for the rest of the evening and in the morning, Hailey had encouraged James to try a local dish called _foul_. Again, James had found it too spicy, but Hailey had ordered him to finish the nutritious dish before teleporting to Santorini, the largest island of a small archipelago in Greece.

Hailey had been amazed by the architecture. The small cubical houses lime washed with volcanic ashes formed a stunning contrast to the dark stone of the island. Most of the houses were built on the edge of the caldera, creating an elevated view of the ocean. The day had flown by as they strolled through the narrow streets of the city, talking about their dreams and wishes for their future.

Their fourth destination had been Scotland. Hailey had suggested for James to teleport to Greece's capital, Athens, so they could take a speed jet from there to Glasgow and save James' strength for the rest of the journey. She could tell the teleports wore him down, even if he didn't show it. Her gorgeous mate had obviously been arrogant enough to think she wouldn't notice the difference in his energy level through their connection. Again.

_Presumptuous man._

When they'd reached Glasgow, they decided to stay overnight in the city. Hailey had suggested a visit to a pub where they'd eaten and watched a football match. They returned to their hotel room where Hailey had used her best impersonation of the Scottish accent to make James smile. She'd kissed her handsome Arrow until their smiles had faded into lust and she'd loved him sweet and lazily.

At dawn, James had woken her and given her a suitable outfit for their next adventure. He'd teleported them to the foot of the highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis. Though it would usually take four hours to climb to the top, James had shown Hailey how to use her Tk in climbing the rugged surface. Adapting his pace to hers, he'd given her instructions when she was faltering and had saved her twice from slipping. They'd reached the top after ninety minutes of climbing, having taken a few short breaks when Hailey's muscles had been protesting. Hailey's heart had been slamming in her chest from exertion, but she only needed to take one look from the place where she was standing to forget all of her bodily complaints.

The view had been breathtakingly gorgeous, the vast landscape stretched out underneath them and their altitude so high, Hailey felt like she could touch the clouds. Although climbing a mountain didn't sound like a romantic thing to do, Hailey had enjoyed every moment of it with her Arrow.

But when his face had clouded over with that serious look she was intimately familiar with, Hailey had known their trip was over; duty called for her elite soldier. He'd been requested to return so he could respond to an EmNet call, and Hailey had decided to stay in the UK for a few more days so she could visit her father in London before returning to New York.

After responding to the Em-Net call, James had to teach martial arts classes at the valley and pulled shifts for the covert squad when they requested his attendance. Aside from that, he was still one of the technicians in the Squad.

Hailey knew James hated to be away from her, but he also loved his job. The only part he felt ambivalent towards was his work for the covert team–it was one of the reasons why Hailey was so set on finding a solution to the psychopathy problem in the Net.

She still had to get used to not having James around every day. The worst times had been the two days when he had to keep complete radio silence because of a covert mission. Even though she'd felt he was okay through their connection, she'd been relieved when he had teleported back home. He'd been covered in mud and sweat, his shirt torn, a deep gash on his cheekbone and bruises on his ribs.

She hated the fact that he'd been in danger, had gotten hurt, but she reminded herself not to cage him. Hailey knew what she was getting into when she'd decided on him, and now she'd have to live with her choice without bitching and moaning about it. James still felt it was his purpose to assist the covert team–though he didn't work with them as much as he had in the past–and Hailey wouldn't allow herself to take that away from him, regardless of her reservations and concerns.

Hailey knew James had concerns of his own as well, especially when he had to work late or pull night shifts. After everything that had happened, she was still often haunted by her nightmares when James wasn't with her. Just because she'd come out stronger on the other side of her hardships didn't mean her problems had all magically disappeared.

She'd decided to speak with an empath that was specialized in post-traumatic stress. Hailey knew in her gut that only time would heal most of her traumas, but it felt good to talk with the empathic councilor and reflect on her thoughts and feelings. She still wasn't comfortable leaving her home by herself when it was dark, but she did feel empowered by the fact that her abilities seemed more in control than a few months ago. Again, it was work in progress, but progress nonetheless.

After teaching classes at the valley, she often attended martial arts training. It gave her an outlet and provided her with more control, but it wasn't the same as training with James. That's why Hailey had been delighted when Zaira and James had discussed to start with a training program designed to fine-tune her abilities. It involved frequent sessions with James as her mentor.

Already looking forward to sparring with her Arrow, she smiled when she heard a knock at the door. James had telepathed her he was off shift for the next two days and Hailey already had some nice ideas in mind how to spend that time with her mate. Her thoughts involved nudity.

_Lots and lots of nudity._

She'd accidentally discovered it was his birthday today when she'd unpacked a box a couple of days ago; James had brought it from his living quarters in the valley to her apartment, together with the rest of his belongings. She'd found a certificate on which the date had been printed and–of course–James hadn't told her.

_How unexpected._

Then again, maybe birthdays didn't have the same significance to Psy as they did to the other races. Hailey had decided not to badger him about it.

The only positive thing about James' frequent absence was the fact that she'd been able to buy him a nice birthday gift and some fancy lingerie to surprise him with. She only hoped James' foresight wouldn't sabotage her plans.

James had told her he wanted to surprise her today, calling in the favor she'd extended months ago when she had agreed to swap the surprise in exchange for her touch.

_Perhaps his surprise will involve nudity as well._

Grinning at that thought, Hailey put down her organizer and stood up from the sofa where she'd been working on an exercise for her music class. Walking to the front door she thought about the day when they'd been at the riverbank in the valley. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Cheeks flushing at the memories of James' tumbled look and the storm above them, she suddenly snapped to attention.

_Why is he standing outside of the apartment when he can teleport himself in? _Frowning and wary, Hailey opened the front door.

"Hi!" Copper eyes beamed at her.

"Ivy! Come in," she stepped aside to let Ivy pass and closed the door.

_Well, this is definitely a surprise._

"Forgive me for asking, but what are you doing here?"

Ivy walked into the living room and turned around with a bright smile on her lips. Hailey's eyes went to the small datapad in Ivy's hands before she looked up.

"I've received specific instructions for your surprise," Ivy said while gesturing with the datapad. "I'm supposed to give you this." She handed Hailey a dark piece of fabric.

Hailey held it up. "Really? A blindfold?" She looked into Ivy's sparkling eyes. "Do I have to wear this right now?"

Ivy nodded and pulled the blindfold out of her hands. She walked around and tied the blindfold around Hailey's head. Hailey touched the cool, sleek fabric with her fingertips, the late afternoon sun blocked out entirely by the material.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"_Ivy_."

The empath laughed. "Okay, next step." A pause. "It says here you need to strip."

Hailey snorted. "I need to do _what_? Why is James involving you if he wants me naked?"

Hailey could tell by the sound of Ivy's voice that the other woman was smiling. "I don't think this is about nakedness, I think he wants you to change."

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph," Hailey muttered. "I give the man _one_ IOU to surprise me, and he has to take it to the next level. Those damn Arrows and their competitive natures." She sighed. "I'm not getting away with taking him to a burger restaurant as a next surprise date, am I?"

A bright laugh sounded behind her as Ivy ushered her towards what Hailey could tell was her bedroom.

Ivy gasped.

Hailey's hands reached for the blindfold, but the empath quickly put her hands over Hailey's covered eyes. "No, no. It's nothing. I just… stubbed my toe."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Here, sit down on the bed." Ivy pushed Hailey on the soft surface and Hailey started unbuttoning her jeans as well as she could while blindfolded. She heard a rustling noise, followed by another gasp.

She reached for the blindfold again. "Are you really okay? I could get you some ice."

"No, no, I'm fine!" Ivy's voice was pitched a little high.

Shrugging, Hailey shimmied out of her jeans and pulled off her socks.

"That man really knows what he's doing." It was a soft murmur.

Hailey angled her head and frowned. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. Don't mind me." Steps on the wooden floor. "Here, let me help you with your shirt," Ivy said, and Hailey felt Ivy tug on the piece of clothing. "You hold your blindfold. No peeking!"

Hailey lifted her arms and held the blindfold when Ivy pulled her shirt over her head. She might be part changeling, but she never really liked the entire nudity aspect of being changeling since it didn't apply to her.

_God, he will get paid back for this! _

In too deep now, she pushed past the embarrassment of sitting on a bed in beautiful soft pink lingerie across from a woman she considered a friend–while wearing a blindfold–and waited for Ivy to speak.

"Okay," a small hand on her shoulder, the other clasping her hand. "Stand up and walk two steps."

Hailey meekly followed Ivy's instructions and bent forward a little so Ivy could shove the new garment over her head. After some pulling and tugging, Ivy clapped her hands. Hailey's head snapped up.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ivy sounded as if she was smiling again.

"I'm telling you; this man will be the death of me." Hailey slid her hands over her thighs, touching the extremely soft fabric of her new garment. She wiggled a little. _A dress. An ankle-length dress. _

Another rustling noise filled the quiet.

"Hold still," Ivy ordered.

Hailey's eyebrows knitted together. Then she felt a soft touch on her head. She jerked. "What are you doing?"

"Hold still," Ivy repeated as she pulled out the clip holding together Hailey's messy bun. Ivy ran her hands through the thick mass of Hailey's hair and sighed. "You have such beautiful hair."

"Thank you," Hailey replied, feeling a little uneasy as Ivy placed something on her head. Hailey jerked again, which got her a tsk-ing noise from Ivy.

"Abbot was right," Hailey muttered. "You Empaths aren't as gentle as you look."

A snort sounded to her left as Ivy kept on touching Hailey's hair. Hailey went to reach for whatever Ivy had placed on her head, but her hand was slapped away.

_Damn it, James, _she thought. If whatever was on her head were bunny ears, she'd kill him. Slowly.

"Don't touch it!"

"Okay, calm down, I won't." Hailey tilted her head a little, the weight on top of her head feeling a little odd. She still hoped it weren't bunny ears. Or a unicorn horn. "Are we done now?"

"Wait." Fading footsteps sounded to her right. Hailey slid her hands over the soft skirt of her dress again and rubbed the fabric between her fingers. It had the same feel as the emerald organza gown she'd worn the night of the attack. Stomach knotting at those memories, Hailey tapped her foot onto the wooden floor.

"Ivy?" she called out.

Nothing.

After several moments without a response, Hailey pouted. She put her hand on the blindfold to peek underneath it, to see whatever Ivy was doing. Patience had never been her strong suit.

"No!" Ivy's panicked shriek made Hailey laugh as her footsteps sounded closer. "You really need to stop touching it! Trust me, it'll be worth it."

Hailey grinned. "I'm sorry, it's _very _tempting to see what the hell is going on."

"You need to keep it on for now. Now, lift your foot."

Again, Hailey did as she was instructed and almost fell when she lost her balance. Gasping, she reached out and felt the cast iron frame of her bed. She clung on to it as Ivy slipped on the other shoe, which was apparently a pump of some sort.

Ivy guided her back to the bed, and she heard small rumbling noises. "This wasn't in the instructions," Ivy's said as she closed the distance towards Hailey, "but you'll thank me later for it. Relax your mouth."

Hailey fought the urge to laugh at that ambiguous comment, the strangeness of the situation combined with her rising nerves adding to her giddiness. After a couple of minutes Ivy was done applying Hailey's make up. She'd even applied some eyeliner and mascara when Hailey had promised her five times not to sneak in a peek.

"We're done!" Ivy called out as she readjusted the blindfold. She sounded as if she was beaming.

Hailey frowned again, apprehension tightening her gut. She really was going to kill James for putting her through this. And what exactly _was_ all this? Hailey didn't have a clue, though this surprise date would probably go down in history as the strangest one she'd ever had. After having blind-dated a changeling bear once, that definitely said something.

When she stepped onto the psychic plane to reach out to her mate, all she could feel was a satisfied hum.

_Well, at least one of you guys is happy._

Big, warm hands slid around her waist. Hailey nearly jumped at the contact but could smell the familiar hints of oak moss and sandalwood.

"James!" Relief and happiness in her voice. "Can I take the blindfold off now?"

His lips brushed her cheek. "Not yet."

Suddenly the ground beneath her feet felt uneven as air currents brushed against her skin. Hailey sucked in a breath and grabbed onto James' arms, but before she could do so much as step aside to steady herself, James already had her. She leaned into his embrace and rubbed her cheek against his chest. _You smell good. _

Frowning at the odd sensation against her cheek, she reached out to touch his upper body. "What the hell are you wearing?" Before she could touch him, his hand clasped her wrist.

"Come with me." The soft murmur of his deep voice against the shell of her ear made her body simmer.

She turned her head when she heard a noise. _Was that someone talking? _As soon as she angled her head towards the sound, it disappeared.

"Are you shielding me?" Hailey chastised James, her face a scowl he probably couldn't see properly.

He swept her off her feet–which made her let out a small cry–and carried her, one arm underneath her legs and the other behind her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled the soft hair above his temple, deeply inhaling his scent.

_Wait and see, my Siren. _

She shivered and cuddled up against him when he started walking. _I've never been known for my patience._

_Yes, I know. Your father told me._

Her head snapped up. "Wait. What?" She turned her head towards him and gripped his chin as well as she could while blindfolded. "When did you– Ah!"

Suddenly, James shifted his hold. A hard surface caused her shoes to make a clicking sound when James lowered her to the ground. James cupped her face and kissed her softly as he unwrapped the blindfold. Hailey blinked a couple of times when James lifted the dark fabric from her eyes. Carefully rubbing her eyes in order not to mess up Ivy's efforts, she looked at him.

Her eyes turned the size of saucers when she saw James dressed in a tailored black on white suit, a white handkerchief in the front pocket of his jacket. "Wh… what are you wearing?"

His eyes sparked and she looked up at the big wooden arbor covered with wisteria, fairy lights gleaming between the purple flowers and giving off a soft glow in the sunset.

James brushed his knuckles over her cheek. _You're beautiful. _

She looked down at her own clothes. Her heart stopped beating the instance she saw the gorgeous ivory colored gown fan out beneath her, the light fabric picked up by a slight breeze. Her head snapped up, her voice a whisper. "What am I wearing?"

James gave her a sideways smile that made her melt from the inside. She felt a pinging sensation in her mind and opened the image James had sent her. What he showed her took her breath away.

It was a mental snapshot of her, standing in her bedroom. She was still wearing the blindfold but looked absolutely stunning. Hailey had already seen the soft ivory color of her dress, but now she noticed it complemented her caramel skin tone perfectly.

The gown had an A line cut, a heart shaped neckline and a lace bodice. The lace ended at her waist, enhancing her hourglass figure. Small shoulder straps were almost hidden behind the dark mass of her hair, a floral crown of peonies, small green leaves and baby's breath on top of her head. James sent her another image, this one of the low-cut back, the lace forming a large oval and her hair falling over her bare skin in a dark, wavy curtain.

A bright smile covered her face as she looked at James again. Azure eyes blazing, happiness and pride shuddering through their connection, he nudged her to the left and lowered his shield.

Hailey clasped her hands in front of her mouth and instantly started crying at the sight of her father, Shane, Morgan, Aiseline, Devraj, Katya, Aubry, Isobel, Zaira, Ivy and Vasic. When she blinked away her tears, she saw other Arrows, the teenagers, some of her colleagues, the students from her school, family members and a man with topaz-colored eyes who was unmistakably a dominant predator changeling. She also noticed a handsome tall man with blond hair and dark blue eyes standing next to an equally handsome but smaller woman with eyes akin to James' azure blue.

When the less Silent half of the crowd started cheering and clapping, she couldn't help but smile, happiness crashing into her. Wiping away the tears with the back of her hands while James wrapped his arm around her waist, she beamed at him, sunlight in her veins. "Your idea of a surprise is to organize _a wedding_?" Her voice sounded a little wet.

James cupped her face with one hand and bent towards her as if to kiss her, but the sound of a scraping throat broke through the intimacy of their hold.

"As I see you're eager to kiss the bride, perhaps we should get on with the formalities."

Hailey frowned and turned towards the familiar voice that sounded behind her. "Seriously? _You_ are going to marry us?" She laughed aloud at Aden, who was wearing his Arrow uniform with a gleaming arrow pin on the lapel of his jacket. Aden's face was neutral, but for the glimmer in his slanted eyes.

_Yes,_ James telepathed her. _I asked him. He's ordained, so if you say yes, it will be official. _

Hailey turned towards James, her heart overflowing with love for her amazing Arrow mate. _I love you_, she whispered to him.

His eyes were filled with warmth when he took her right hand. _Ready?_

Hailey bit back a smile. _I've been ready since the day you've tricked me in kissing you._

James' lips twitched as he responded. _Good. _He gave Aden a nod.

"Today we celebrate the extraordinary union between two people who've shared more adversities in their time together than most will their entire lifetime," Aden addressed the crowd. "James once told me he never expected to meet someone who'd be evenly matched to him." The corners of Aden's eyes wrinkled a little. "Obviously at the time, he hadn't met Hailey yet."

A rustle of laughter whispered through the crowd.

"James describes Hailey as a strong, passionate and honest woman. For those who don't know James, he's said to be a determined, decisive and confident man."

Hailey grinned. She shook her head and mouthed 'arrogant' and 'presumptuous' at James, who gave her a small smile.

_Careful, Mrs. Addison. _

His telepathic message warmed her heart, but she couldn't resist. _I'd rather stick with Logan._

His eyebrow arched. _You can. For five-or-so more minutes. _Cool and arrogant and hers.

Hailey blew him a telepathic kiss while continuing listening to Aden.

"Two strong willed-people, each a power in their fields of expertise. Each is willing to fight for the other and go through great lengths to protect the other. Each is willing to fight _with_ the other, to care for the other." Aden faced Hailey. "Hailey came to the Arrows in need of advice. I believe Hailey found the help she was looking for and saved James in the process." He turned his gaze to James. "She saved him from a life of solitude. In return, James saved Hailey from the same fate."

Hailey smiled deeply at the truth in Aden's words. If it hadn't been for James, she'd still be living her life in fear of hurting someone. She reminded herself to thank Devraj for sending her to the valley.

"In the darkest hours, a spark of light can reach even the deepest shadows. When hope blooms where fear resides, the light can eliminate the darkness altogether. That," Aden said as he spoke to her, "is what you are to James." Hailey felt tears burn in her eyes as she looked at James, her chest stinging at the beauty of Aden's words.

He directed his words to the rest of the crowd again. "Curious circumstances brought James and Hailey together. And as James well knows, the future is ever changing." James looked at Aden as Aden continued. "You've found someone unique. To keep them takes effort, every single day. Remi requested me to emphasize the importance of communication in the future, but I'm certain Hailey will challenge you when you believe she'll listen to your orders." The corner of the Arrow Squad's commander curled. "As I'm certain James will able to temper your fire when necessary." Aden's eyes sparked at Hailey.

She grinned back at him, happiness bursting out of every fiber in her body.

"You've come to know each other well over the past months. And now you're both here, together with friends, family and loved ones. So I want to ask you, are you willing to look past each other's mistakes? Willing to embrace the other, even when you disagree? Willing to share love, sadness, pain and health, whatever may come?" He looked at James.

James shifted his gaze to Hailey. "Yes." _You are mine,_ he added privately,_ have been since the moment you captivated me with your smart mouth._

Hailey laughed and felt her heart flutter in her chest when Aden looked at her, waiting for her answer. She met those beautiful eyes of the deepest azure and spoke. "You are my shield in every storm, my strength when I collapse, the shoulder when I'm weary. Even when I didn't, you believed in me." She reached out and brushed her fingers over his jaw. "You guided me through the shadows and loved me, regardless of my flaws." Her voice turned to a whisper. "It's always been you and it will only ever be you." Warmth surged through their bond and Hailey's face broke out in a bright smile. "Yes, love. Forever."

James cupped her face with one hand and wrapped the other around her waist as he hauled her in for a possessive, long kiss. The wedding party started clapping and cheering again. Hailey pulled back and smiled deeply, her intense happiness radiating through their bond.

"Then I'm proud and grateful to pronounce you husband and wife," Aden said with a small smile. He put one hand on James' shoulder and the other on Hailey's. "Let me be the first to congratulate you."

"Thank you," Hailey said as she smiled back. "Your speech was beautiful."

Aden gave her a nod and released them both. "I had some help," he inclined his head to James and walked towards Zaira.

The next half hour consisted of Hailey and James receiving handshakes, embraces and kisses from their loved ones, which, Hailey had to admit, her Arrow handled very well.

Hailey had cried when her father embraced her and congratulated her with her marriage to a man he believed to be worthy of his daughter. Her father had even gotten a small smile out of James after offering him a place to stay if he'd ever get tired of Hailey's temper, which James had accepted despite Hailey's deep scowl.

She'd taken the opportunity to thank Devraj when he'd embraced her. Dev had smiled and shaken his head, telling her how stunned he was when he'd received the wedding invitation. Admittedly, if people would have told her she would be married to an Arrow some day, she'd have asked them if they were on drugs.

The last in the seemingly endless line of guests were the people Hailey guessed to be James' parents. The beautiful blond woman introduced herself as Margot NightStar. She smiled deeply when she stepped towards Hailey but made a jerky motion while looking up at James. Hailey could see the question in her eyes and moved forward, embracing her mother-in-law.

"I'm so happy to meet you. I've been looking forward to it since the day James told me he went to visit you," Hailey said.

Margot beamed at her, which made Hailey wonder if Margot had any secondary abilities that facilitated her obviously broken Silence, since Silence must have been deeply embedded in the psyche of someone of Margot's age.

"The pleasure is all mine," Margot replied. "I considered myself very lucky when James decided to ask for my help." She stepped back. "Now I'm even more fortunate. Not only do I get to see my son, but I have a beautiful daughter as well."

The sincere warmth in Margot's voice almost made Hailey cry, the absence of her own mother a shadow on this bright day. Managing to smile back, Hailey turned her attention to James' father.

The resemblance between them was uncanny, but for the eyes.

_It's insane to know how you'll look in about thirty years_. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. _It's also ridiculous to know you're going to turn out that_ _handsome. That is, if you're not grey or bald by the time you've spent thirty years with me._

The greatest difference between them seemed to be that Robert Addison's face was completely blank, devoid of the emotions Margot had channeled so freely.

Robert inclined his head towards her. "My son seems to believe you're right for him. Evenly matched, were the words Kai used." He took her in from head to toe. "I'm not certain I see it."

"_Robert!_" James' mother sounded aghast, while Hailey nearly burst out in laughter, containing her response with an elegant cough in her fist.

_Holy hell_, Hailey said, amusement in her telepathic voice, _you didn't tell me you were _that_ similar to each other. _She grinned inwardly. _Should I try to call him milord as well?_

This time James was the one to cough as he replied to her. _I'd strongly recommend you don't, but then again, you often insult my intelligence with your mission of challenging my better judgment. _

She elbowed him and felt laughter resonate in her mind, the deep, dark and rich sound of his joy music to her soul.

"I'm very sorry my spectacular appearance hasn't done the trick for you, Mr. Addison, but then again, you're not the one I've married, and I don't have to prove my love for James to anyone but him," she said primly. "Surely you weren't trying to be rude."

Margot's eyes turned big as she shot James a questioning look, to which James shrugged.

"James has always tried to protect the weak," Robert replied with a measured look.

She gave Robert a wide smile. "Yes, he still does, wonderful man." She laced her fingers through James' as she looked up at him. "Which is why he needs someone to tell him when it has been enough; he needs someone to protect _him_."

James listened to Hailey while she returned her gaze to his father. He knew better than to try and step in, even after his mother had anxiously telepathed him to shut down the conversation.

Hailey was strongly capable of fighting her own battles.

"I think it's wonderful you love your son enough that you are trying to protect him as well. But you must understand," the words made fire ignite in her eyes, sparking jade and gold, "I would die for him. I nearly did, and I'd do so again in a heartbeat if it would save him. I suggest you don't ever question my love or loyalty towards my husband. You know nothing about me or my strength."

Sharp stings of pride and love filled his chest. Yes, Hailey would always be the only one for him.

She tilted her head to the side a little. "If you _are _interested in getting to know me, you're welcome for dinner next Friday." She managed to keep a perfectly straight face, but James could sense the moment when Hailey's fire turned into nervousness.

_Damn it! _Hailey's self-conscious voice in his mind. _You Addison men have the bad habit of pushing all my angry buttons. _

James noticed a blush creep up her cheeks but disregarded her embarrassment. He saw the look his father gave her and knew she'd have nothing to worry about.

Robert gave her a curt nod. "I apologize if I've offended you. I had to see for myself if James was right."

Hailey stiffened. "About what?" her tone wary.

"Your willingness to fight for him." His father's gaze was cold when it locked with James', but the words he spoke next made James stiffen as well. "I wasn't able to do so for him when he was a child." He remained quiet for several moments, holding James' gaze. "He needs that fire, needs it to be happy."

_Unbelievable_, Hailey's voice a combination of surprise and irritation as she shook her head. "You and your son are cut from the same cloth," she muttered.

His father gave Hailey a quick glance before returning his gaze to James. "Friday."

James inclined his head as his father walked off.

After that very uncomfortable conversation came dinner, where several people did toasts to their health. Anecdotes were animatedly provided by Aiseline and Shane. Hailey was already planning multiple ways to torture her best friend after he told the wedding party about their holiday to Israel when she was twenty. She'd thrown a jellyfish at Shane when he'd been annoying… and that jellyfish turned out to be a BlackSea Changeling. The changeling had shifted, and the naked man standing in front of Hailey had _not_ been amused. Shane ended the story by wishing James good luck dodging all the projectiles Hailey would throw at him in the future.

Revenge, Hailey decided, would be a sweet, sweet thing if her friend would ever fall head over heels.

Even the Arrow teenagers chipped in; Robin and Joyce had apparently learned of Hailey's beloved nicknames for James and explained during their speech that they very much 'liked' the names Hailey had called James. Hailey had blinked away a few tears in pride for them to open up so wonderfully and had given them a hug. It made them both adorably awkward.

After munching away some cookie dough ice cream with rainbow sprinkles–which she persuaded James to taste by coaxing him with a kiss,–music started playing with the announcement that the bride and groom's opening dance would start in ten.

Hailey was chatting with Aiseline, who revealed she'd helped James pick Hailey's wedding dress together with Ivy.

Hailey kissed her friend on her cheek. "Thank you. It's beautiful."

Aiseline waggled her eyebrows. "You make a handsome couple, I'll give you that!" She pursed her lips as her gaze went to the group of Arrows standing in their uniforms. "Some of those men make me want to jump them! It's so sexy they're wearing their uniform, but I _really_ want to see what's underneath."

Hailey snorted as Aiseline kept checking out the oblivious men. "I'll ask James to introduce you."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Aiseline grinned. "But we're going to dance first!"

Hailey's eyebrows rose. "Who organized all this?" She swiveled around to the fairy lights in the trees, the beautifully decorated tables on the lawn and even a plas dance floor that lit up whenever somebody stepped onto it.

Aiseline poked Hailey's shoulder. "Who do you think?" she asked with a wide grin. "That man of yours isn't just damn gorgeous, but he's actually a very good party planner! He mapped out the general lines and a lot of people volunteered to help out with the details." She smiled affectionately at the teenage Arrows. "The kids wanted to help a lot. They're a little quiet, but lovely."

Happiness bubbling in her blood, Hailey nodded. "Yes, they are."

Aiseline squeezed Hailey's arm and shot her a knowing smile before walking to Shane, who was attempting to make conversation with Aurelia. Hailey narrowed her eyes when she caught her friend laughing at something Aurelia said.

"Are you having a good time?" James' deep, dark voice made her shudder as his hands slid around her waist.

She turned her head towards him and leaned into his embrace. "I can never thank you enough for everything you've done. I'm also never going to be able to top this. Damn competitive Arrows." It was an affectionate remark, her smile bright.

He nuzzled her neck. "I wanted a surprise for my birthday."

Hailey laughed as she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, rising on tiptoe to kiss him. "That's not how birthdays work," she muttered against his lips. _Will you do me a favor?_

He brushed his lips over hers again while responding to her telepathic question. _Anything for you._

_Top shelf of the kitchen cabinet filled with snacks. Back left corner._ She sent him a mental image of the small box. _Could you retrieve that for me?_

James leaned back and held out his hand. An instant later, a small, black box with a copper colored bow appeared in his hand. Hailey took the box from his hand and opened it to reveal the item inside.

A slow smile curled around James' lips at the sight of the black titanium ring Hailey showed him. She had it custom made with a narrow azure blue line ringing the outside, the inside gold. Hailey lifted the ring out of the box and held it so he could see the engraving on the inside.

"The Arrow and the Siren," he said softly as he inspected the small arrow and fishtail etched in the metal. His eyebrows knitted together. "On which hand do I wear it?"

"The Ancient Egyptians believed the ring finger of your left hand was the only finger of which the blood vessels were connected to the heart." She stroked her fingers over his pectoral. "But you can choose whichever hand you like."

James held up his fist after he slid on the ring. "Let's both choose left, then," he said as he opened his hand.

In his big palm lay a beautiful platinum ring with an oval jade stone. The gleaming green gemstone was clasped between two silver curls, the band made from four narrow braided strands.

Hailey's heart swelled when she picked it up and read the intricate engraved letters on the inside of the ring. _My Siren, your Arrow. _

She pulled him close and kissed him deeply. "It seems I was right after all," she said a little breathlessly after she drew back from his embrace and slid on the ring. "Ours is a great story."

James took her hand and pulled her towards the dance floor where multiple partygoers were slowly dancing to a sugar-sweet love song that was most definitely on Hailey's Guilty Pleasures playlist.

_Yes, _James replied as he hauled her close and looked deep into her eyes._ And it has only just begun._


	44. Foresight

Foresight

Foresight was a capricious ability, as proven by the events of the past months. Not everything was meant to be seen, and not every prediction came to pass. But often the knowings, premonitions and visions did hold a vein of truth.

James watched Hailey do an aerial cartwheel, after which she bowed gracefully for her teenage audience. She smiled excitedly when a young leopard girl did a back walkover and clapped when the girl landed softly in the grass.

"I've got to say, you've managed to surprise the hell out of me."

James felt the corner of his mouth rise as he leaned back against a tree, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He gave Remi a sideways glance. "How so?"

Remi shook his head. "She's definitely not a cat."

The other corner of his mouth now joined the first. "No, she isn't."

Remi gave him a pointed look. "She's also definitely not human."

James coughed, hiding his laugh. "No."

The leopard alpha sat down on a tree stump and braced his elbows on his thighs while focusing on Hailey, who was currently briefly levitating one of the RainFire teenagers before placing him gently on the grass.

Her control had strengthened over the past months, but she still insisted on training several times a week. He understood why. Beside her need to leash her abilities, the sparring sessions between them were… fun. She kept finding ways to distract him, while he tried to do the same to her. It was as much an exercise in psychic control as it was in physical control.

The memories of yesterday's session still warmed his skin. She'd somehow found a way to twist herself behind him and had thrust her hands under his shirt, possessively running her fingers over his torso, then lower...

"She's not Psy either." Remi's pensive voice snapped James out of his thoughts. The alpha scowled at him, but James could see the curious glint in Remi's eyes. "Where can I find one?"

"Do you want me to take a look for you?" he offered.

Remi's eyes turned a vivid yellow-green as he stood up from the tree stump. "You wouldn't dare to mock me, now, would you?" It was the leopard snarling at him.

James shook his head, his lips twitching again. In every other case, he would have been on high alert, the predator in Remi challenging the predatory core of him. But because of his interaction with Hailey, he knew how to respond without instigating a fight with the alpha.

"I'm not offering to become a matchmaker," he dryly said. "I'm aware changelings like to court mates in their own way." Even though he'd used those strategies to his advantage to persuade Hailey. He met the alpha's gaze without flinching. "I _can _try to glimpse the future, but, being a secondary ability, it often doesn't work."

The leopard was still looking out of Remi's eyes but the curious glint had returned. "You can see the future?"

James shrugged with one shoulder. "Occasionally."

A huff of laughter, the sound coming from both man and leopard. "Then why is it you needed me for relationship advice?"

He arched an eyebrow at Remi, who was grinning in a distinctive feral way. "Do you want me to try, or not?"

Amusement still written on his face, Remi was the one who shrugged now. "Sure. Go for it."

James closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, using Remi's face as a lock to expand his mind and channel a vision.

A minute passed.

Two.

After several minutes, James opened his eyes when he heard Hailey's husky laughter. She was sitting in a circle with the teenagers while one of the young Arrows was moving animatedly with her hands.

"Well?"

Returning his attention to Remi, he went to tell the alpha that he'd come up dry. But when those clear topaz eyes met his, a vision crashed into his mind. He clenched his fists at the way the storm of the vision poured images inside his head. When it suddenly stopped, he released a jagged breath, his heart slamming inside his chest, the pounding a drum in his ears.

"James? Are you alright?"

He shoved aside the vision as he nodded at Remi. "Yes. I apologize, I saw nothing of interest to you."

Topaz ringed with yellow-green. "But you did see _something_, didn't you?"

James ignored Remi's curiosity for the moment and walked towards Hailey, who was already running to him.

Her eyes were big and dark when she cupped his face. "Hey," she whispered. _What's wrong, love?_

He untangled the myriad of images from the vision while placing his hands on her hips. It wasn't the near future, he saw now. He recognized an image of one of the Arrow children–who was still a toddler–but had grown to the age of at least seven or eight.

_Still… Could it truly be?_

Wonder uncurled inside his chest at the unexpected gift he'd received.

_Let me show you. Stay aware of your draining ability_, he warned her. _Leash it. Tightly._

Nodding, Hailey closed her eyes when he placed his forehead against hers. _Yes, milord. Now stop ordering me around and show me what's wrong._

He didn't even need to drop his shields for her, their pathway always open to one another. Sending her the images–and making sure it was gently this time–he showed her the vision.

_Hailey laughing at something Remi said while she walked through snow. Playing children running circles around them, before chasing each other through the trees. Remi looking back, waving at him, following the children. _

_Hailey swiveling around to see him, gold lighting her eyes, a bright smile around her lips. His hands cupping her face, their breaths forming small clouds in the air. _

_Hailey wincing, giving him a rueful smile as she looked down. _

_Him, following her gaze while stroking his hands over her coat, over the round area of her pregnant belly._

Thank you so much for reading James' and Hailey's story! I really hope you've enjoyed this figment of my imagination based on Nalini's Psy/Changeling series.

Love, Kristy


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